Worst Enemies and Best Friends
by draco-hotty
Summary: I'VE GIVEN UP ON THIS STORY. PLEASE FORGIVE. MY FRIEND IS GOING TO TRY AND WRITE MORE CHAPTERS TO IT. THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED!
1. One Heck of A Train Ride

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful charters.**

**A/N- Hi, this is my first Harry Potter FanFic, I hope you like it!**

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**Chapter One: One Heck of a Train Ride**

"I'll see you later, Harry," Hermione called to one of her two best friends, "since I'm now head girl I have to sit in the front and give the prefects their instructions with the new head boy, whoever that is."

"I think he knows that Hermione, you've only said it about twenty times now," Hermione's other best friend, Ron, reminded her heatedly.

"You'd better watch your tone with me Ronald Weasley!" Hermione warned him, "I have the power to deduct points now you know!"

"Guys, stop it, who cares." Harry said quickly, sensing one of his friends' signature fights.

"Come on, Hermione." Ron said, ignoring Harry completely.

Hermione, also ignoring Harry, knew Ron's tone all to well it clearly told her that he didn't think she would take points from her own house, Gryffindor, but how wrong he was, the minute they were at school, she was going to deduct points from Gryffindor.

"I'm dead serious, Ronald!" Hermione spat, 'When we get to Hogwarts I'm deducting ten points from Gryffindor. Five for your tone, and another five for your attitude!"

"Hermione!" Ron protested, he then turned to Harry and asked, "Harry, a little help would be nice. Um, Harry?"

Ron, and Hermione both looked around for their friend.

"There he is!' Hermione told Ron, tapping him on the shoulder, and pointing to a near-by window, where, sure enough, their brown haired friend sat, looking slightly annoyed.

"Harry, why'd you go and do that?" Ron asked getting slightly annoyed himself, at being abandoned by his best friend.

"You two are driving me insane," Harry shot out the window at them. He hated it when Ron, and Hermione, fought, he, Harry always ended up in the middle. He then added, "and I'd get aboard before the train leaves without you, that's the final whistle that just blew."

"He's right!" Hermione exclaimed, more to herself then to anyone else, as she turned around to grab her school trunk, and Crookshanks's basket, and headed off towards the front without a single word to Ron.

Hermione lifted her trunk onto the train, then climbed on herself carrying Crookshanks basket in her arms. She found the Heads compartment and entered silently, no one was inside. So, with quite a bit of effort, she hoisted her trunk into the luggage rack, and took a seat by the window. She gazed out the window, and saw her parents waving she waved back. Then, her mother started to cry, her wrapped her into a hug, and waved once more to Hermione.

Hermione knew the reason behind her mother's tears; Voldemort was now at full strength, and attacks, by him, were now happening quite frequently. She leaned back in her seat, as the train pulled out of the station, she watched as her parents get smaller as the distance between them grew, soon they were pinpricks, then they were gone.

"No way, they made a _mudblood_ Head Girl!" Came a voice from the doorway, she turned, and none other then Draco Malfoy stood before her.

At first she didn't even recognize him, he was wearing a pair of blue jeans that had a few small holes down the front of the legs, and a black T-shirt with an emerald green serpent on the front, indicating he was a proud-to-be Slytherin. Through his t-shirt she could tell, although she didn't want top admit it, were some impressive muscles.

"Malfoy?" She asked uncertainly, then she saw him flash his signature smirk, and she knew, without a doubt, that it was really Malfoy. Then added, with a touch of utter horror in her voice, "don't tell me they made _you_ head boy?"

"Why, yes they did Granger," Malfoy sneered, then added, "and it seems that they must have went a bit _insane_ when they choose the Head Girl."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing, about when they choose head boy!" Hermione shot back.

"Whoa, touchy!" Malfoy sneered.

It seemed he was, now, taking a moment to absorb her new look. His mouth hung open slightly as his eyes slowly made there way, from her, once bushy brown hair, that was now soft, and flowing, to her now slender face. His eyes trailed over her smaller looking body, he almost in a way seemed…impressed.

Malfoy, shrugged the look off his face, and then heaved his truck into the luggage rack, and than seated himself across from Hermione; who returned her gaze to the window without another word.

Hermione let her mind trail back to what she was thinking of before she was so rudely interrupted, would she ever see her mother, and father, again, alive? Or would Voldemort…she wouldn't be able to bare it if that happened.

_I can't believe they made _her_ Head Girl, oh crap! That means I'm going to be sharing a _dorm_ with her,_ these thoughts passed, one-by-one, though Draco Malfoy's head. _Man, why the bloody hell did they have to make her Head Girl? Why did they…_Malfoy stopped mid-thought, he had heard a whimper and was now looking around to find the source of the noise, then he saw Hermione, and noticed that tears were making there way down her cheeks. _What the?_ Malfoy thought as he continued to watch the girl in front of him cry, _why the hell is she crying, does she hate the thought to having to live with me that much._ Malfoy was kind of surprised, and shocked, at how much this thought hurt him.

Hermione suddenly looked up, and quickly wiped the tears from her face, took a deep breath, and leaned back in her chair. Malfoy watched her curiously, what had all that been about, and (slightly more importantly) why the bloody hell did he care?

Hermione then looked over at him, and he quickly looked away. She looked so sad, so utterly alone. He wanted to comfort her. _No I don't,_ he told himself fiercely.

_Yes you do, just hold her, and tell her it's all right, now._

_No frickin' way, she a mudblood,_ but even as he thought this he moved to the edge of his seat, he looked over at her, she continued stare out the window, and was starting to cry again. He moved forward a little more, his knees were now just touching hers.

He was about to swivel from his seat, and sit beside her when the compartment door slid open. Malfoy shot back into his seat so fast that the back of his head collided into the wall behind it, he clutched it in pain as he turned to see who had entered, he had taken the liberty to send all the prefects off on their duties both he had come to the heads compartment (he had been hoping to have a little fun with the Head Girl before arriving at Hogwarts), or at least he thought he had gotten all the prefects.

Before him stood none other then Ronald Weasley, a seventh year Gryffindor prefect. Hermione didn't seem to have realized that someone had just walked in, she just continued to peer though the window, crying. Ron looked at her for a moment, then to Malfoy, then back to Hermione. It was only then that he seemed to notice that she was crying.

The red head instantly jumped to Hermione's side, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, at this; something made Malfoy place a hand on his wand, ready to draw it if he had to. Hermione jumped, and swung around, her hand open ready to slap who ever had just touched her without her permission. She, unfortunately for Ron, hadn't registered who it was, in time, and her open palm whipped across Ron's face.

"Ouch! Hermione!" Ron bellowed, releasing her, and brought his hand up to his, now extremely red, cheek, "That hurt, you know."

"Oh, I'm sorry Ron," Hermione apologized, she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, and added, "I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously," Ron whispered under his breath, still rubbing his cheek; Hermione looked at him, he shook his head, and added, "Are you okay? You looked upset."

"Huh? Upset? What do you mean?" Hermione asked him, her hands instantly went to her face to make sure she had gotten all the tears.

"Did this git do something to you, Hermione?" Ron asked her, but he didn't bother waiting for her to answer, he rounded on Malfoy. "What the bloody hell did you do to her, Malfoy?"

"Not a bloody thing, weasel!" Malfoy sneered, griping his wand tighter.

"Yeah, right?" Ron yelled furiously at Malfoy, he grabbed Hermione by the wrist and helped her to her feet, "come on, Hermione, let's go, Harry, Ginny and Neville, have all ready found a compartment. Percy told me, back when he had made head boy, that not even the Heads don't have to stay in this compartment if they don't want to, they can leave anytime. So, come on."

"Ouch, Ron!" Hermione winced; Ron's grip on her wrist was becoming unbearably tight, "Ron, ouch, let me go!"

Ron, though, who had drawn his wand and pointed it at Malfoy, who, surprisingly, hadn't drawn his, though, he was clutching it rather tightly now, was completely ignoring her.

Malfoy looked from Hermione to Ron's wand, which was pointed directly at his face. He watched a minute while Hermione tried desperately to loosen her "friends" grip around her wrist. Malfoy was about to draw his wand, when the compartment door opened for the second time, this time revealing, a shocked, Harry Potter.

Harry looked around at the three students in the compartment, within seconds his brain jumped into action.

"Ron," Harry said, keeping his voice calm, he nodded at Ron's hand that still had a terribly tight grip on Hermione's wrist.

Ron looked down and immediately loosened his grip on his friend's wrist, while sincerely apologizing, "Sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to hurt you, let's just get out of here."

"GO TO HELL, RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione snapped viscously, jerking her wrist fully out of Ron's grasp, then turned on her heels, and returned to her seat across from Malfoy, who was, now, staring dumbstruck at the bickering pair.

"Hermione, " Ron said, in an almost nagging tone of voice, he cocked he's head, and looked at Hermione, who was now staring back out the window, again.

"Eat dragon dung!" Hermione snapped, not removing her gaze from the window.

"WHAT?" Ron, was utterly perplexed by this sudden change of attitude within his, so-called, best friend.

"YOU HEARD ME!" Hermione spat, "NOW GET OUT, THIS IS THE HEADS COMPARTMENT, SO YOU HAVE ABSOLUTLY NO RIGHT BEING IN HERE! NOW GET OUT!"

"FINE!" Ron shouted at the top of his voice, and with that he stormed from the compartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Ron!" Harry called as he watched his friend leave, he then turned back to look at his other friend, and said, in a voice slightly softer then the one he had spoke to Ron in, "Hermione."

"Harry, just leave me alone." Hermione pleadingly, not looking around, "Please."

Harry looked uncertainly at Hermione for a moment then turned and left the compartment after Ron.

"Trouble in the trio, is there?" A voice, across from Hermione, asked.

"Shove it, Malfoy, before I give you a broken jaw!" Hermione snapped, not looking at Malfoy.

"Whoa, take it easy, Granger." Malfoy said, with another one of his signature smirks.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy." Hermione advised, with a dangerous expression on her face.

Malfoy, who decided not to push his luck, slumped back in his seat, slightly disappointed, he had been so close to hugging her, before the weasel showed up.

_Whoa!_ Malfoy thought to himself._ What the bloody hell am I thinking? Hugging her!_ Malfoy shook his head vigorously. Then laid his head back, daring himself not to think about what he had just thought about ten seconds ago.

After, about half an hour, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogmends Station. Hermione, and Malfoy changed into their robes with out a word. They climbed down, the steps to where a line of carriages stood waiting, to most of the students there, they were being pulled by "invisible" horses, but Hermione, who had witnessed death, could now see the ghostly looking creatures, Thestrals, that pulled them.

Hermione, and Malfoy, climbed, wordlessly, into the Heads' carriage at the front of the line. They sat across from each other, Hermione, yet again, staring out the window, thankfully, though, not crying. Malfoy just sat there staring at her. He had, for the moment, given up on trying to shut the voices in his head up, and just sat there longingly looking at what he could never, even dream, of having.

They reached the castle, and left their carriage, rather quickly, and headed into Hogwarts, in silence.

"Hermione! Hermione! Over here!"

Hermione plummeted back to earth, she had, again, been thinking of her parents, wondering if they were all right. She turned and saw Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley's younger sister hurrying towards her.

"Oh, um, hello, Ginny." Hermione greeted, smiling down at Ginny, as she came to a halt in front of her.

"Hi, Hermione," Ginny welcomed brightly, an enthusiastic smile plastered on her freckled face.

"So long, mudblood, weaselette." Malfoy scorned, then went into the Great Hall to join his Slytherin cronies.

Ginny glared at Malfoy, and then turned to Hermione, "Why on earth were you hanging around with _him_?"

"He's Head Boy, I had to share a carriage with him, and a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, too!"

"He's Head Boy!" Ginny exclaimed looking horrified at Hermione, "Malfoy? No way!"

"I'm serious." Hermione confirmed.

"Wait! Don't the Head Boy, and Girl, have to share a dorm?" Ginny questioned.

"Yeah, unfortunately." Hermione groaned.

"Oh," Ginny sympathized, and pulled Hermione into a hug, "you poor thing! First my brother goes crazy on you. Now _this_! I feel so bad for you, Hermione, and don't worry about my brother, I'm sure he'll come around."

Hermione smiled, a least Ginny didn't hate her, and she hoped that Harry didn't, either.

She really hoped Ron, or Harry weren't mad at her they had grown quite close to her over the summer, while she, and Harry, visited the Weasley's for the summer holidays. Hermione even had the feeling that Harry, or Ron, wanted her to be his girlfriend, but neither one had asked her, yet. Hermione was secretly hoping that one of them would, which one, she really didn't mind; they were both dear friends of hers.

Hermione, and Ginny then made their way into the Great Hall; Hermione seated herself beside Harry, who was now seated, unfortunately for him, directly between Hermione and Ron. Ginny sat across from Hermione.

Ron huffed angrily, as they watched the first years get sorted into their houses, Hermione choose to ignore him. Then, leaned across Harry, and announced to Ron, "I'll be taking those ten points from Gryffindor, now." Ron shot her a dark look, but remained silent.

"That's what you get, Ron," Ginny whispered in an under tone across the table to him, "for messing with 'Head Girl Granger'."

Hermione fought back a laugh, Ginny seemed to always know how to cheer her up, and she was grateful.

At the end of the start-of-term feast, Dumbledore announced that the Head Boy, and Girl were to wait for him in the Entrance Hall, to be lead to their dormitory. The feast, then ended, and she left the Great Hall with Harry, Ginny (Ron was busy leading the new Gryffindor first years to Gryffindor Tower), she then said good-bye to Ginny, but Harry hung back for one that word before he left.

"Don't worry about Ron, Hermione, he'll come around." Harry reassured her giving her a sorrowful look, as Malfoy walked over to them.

"It's not that I'm worried about," Hermione informed him, she gestured towards the Malfoy, "It's having to spend, basically, a whole year with _him_!"

Harry laughed, and gave her a quick hug, then turned to leave.

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**A/N- sorry that this chapter is so short, there will be longer ones. Please Read and Review!**


	2. The Girl He Wanted The Most

**Disclaimer: (i'll say it again in case you guys missed it the first time)I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS THEY ARE J.K. ROWLING'S!**

**A/N-Hey, i hope you've enjoyed the story so far.****

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Chapter Two: The Girl He Wanted The Most **

"Oh, Harry, please don't leave!" Hermione begged Harry he turned to go.

"Oh, yes, why not stay Scarface!" Malfoy shot evilly.

He watched Hermione, the mudblood, and now Head Girl, latch onto her friends' arm, continuing to beg him to stay.

_Since when have they been _that_ close!_ Draco Malfoy found himself thinking, Malfoy suddenly realized what he had just thought, _What the hell was that? Why do I care why she's so close to the scarface? Still… _

Malfoy looked back over at the two best friends, _You know, I never noticed it before, but she's kind of cute, okay, no, hot! _He hated admitting it, but it was true, her body had formed quite nicely over the summer, and, even though her school robes did a pretty good job of concealing it, quite noticeably.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I have to, Professor McGonagall wanted to have a word with me about the Gryffindor Quitddich team, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Harry told her, apologetically.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow Harry." Hermione agreed sadly, she really didn't want him to go.

"Well, good luck." Harry said, as he pulled her closer to him with an arm around her waist, and gave her a warm hug.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Hermione assured her. _Please stay, don't go to McGonagall's!_ Her inner self pleaded.

Harry, than, leaned forward awkwardly and kissed her on the cheek before departing up the marble staircase, watching Malfoy as he went.

_What was that?_ Hermione wondered, as she blushed a deep crimson, as she watched Harry walk away up the marble staircase, at the top of the stairs he glanced back down at her, catching her eye. He, ever so discreetly, tilted his head towards Malfoy with a look that said, "So he won't try anything-hopefully." Hermione smiled as she watched Harry disappear, he had always looked out for her, and so had Ron, another friend of hers, who also that happened to be a boy, he, of course, was busy with guiding the first years to Gryffindor Tower.

She was all alone, now, and she couldn't help but let her mind trail off to the thought of her mother cry in her father's arms as the train had pulled away from platform Nine and three-quarters.

_What was _that! Malfoy thought, as an unfamiliar pain pulled at his heartstrings, while he watched Harry depart up the stairs towards McGonagall's' office. He looked over at Hermione, she was standing there with her arms wrapped around herself as she, too, watched Harry ascend the stairs. He looked back at Hermione, _she looks so lonely, _and then he stopped himself,_ wait, why in hell do I care? _Then he noticed that he had been staring at her for over a minute, and abruptly looked away.

"I can't believe that that old fool made _you_ Head Girl," Malfoy snapped at Hermione, who snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at him, as he continued to speak, "What was that bloody oaf thinking?"

"Don't call him that!" Hermione snapped back at him, "Now, stop it!"

"And if I don't?" Malfoy dared her.

"Then I'll hex you so fast you will not know what hit you," Hermione informed him, then added, her words dipping in sarcasm, "or perhaps that's what I might just do, hit you, squared on your _precious_ face!"

"Aww, you think I'm precious, I'm touched!" He shot back at her with an equal amount of sarcasm in his voice.

"Why you," Hermione started, but before she could finish Dumbledore approached them.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Dumbledore called. He gestured to them to follow him, and they silently obeyed.

They followed Dumbledore up the marble staircase, they followed him all the way to the top floor without a word. Finally, Dumbledore came stopped to a stopped in front of a portrait that started at the floor and stopped about a foot above Malfoy's head.

Hermione glanced at the portrait, her jaw dropped, it was of _her_, and_ Malfoy_! Her portrait self, wearing a denim jacket, a cute little white shirt underneath that showed a thin line of her bare skin between the bottom of shirt and the waist of a pair of jeans she had on, was laying under the large tree out by the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts, her head resting in the portrait self of Malfoy, who was sitting against the tree's trunk, who was also wearing jeans, but had a navy blue shirt on that read, "_I may be a flirt, but you're your girlfriend doesn't seem to mind"_ written in a light blue across the middle. He wasabsently stroking the curly brown hair of her portrait. He seemed to be pleasantly enjoying himself, looking down at her with loving eyes.

She stole a glance over at Malfoy, and saw that he, too, was utterly shocked by the portrait. Looking back at the portrait herself, she noticed that Malfoy was now falling asleep with her on his lap.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the Malfoy in the portrait woke up and looked at him, slightly annoyed, and whispered, "Professor, no offence, but could you lower your tone a slight bit, otherwise, you're going to wake my princess up," then he added with a smirk, "and, be warned, she not a morning princess."

"I'm sorry Mister Malfoy, of course," Dumbledore apologized to the Malfoy in the portrait, bringing his voice down to a bare whisper, "but as you are already aware I'm here with the new Head Boy, and Girl, you, of course know them, I'm sure."

The Malfoy in the portrait smirked, and looked around at the real Hermione, and Malfoy, who stood paralyzed with shock at the sight of the portrait. "You know you're pretty cute in person, princess." He whispered to the real Hermione, who without really thinking looked towards the ground, and blushed, even more than she had when Harry had kissed her on the cheek.

Now, it was Malloy's turn to steal a glance at Hermione, and he did so just in time to see her look down and blush. _Interesting._ He thought to himself, _wait, why is that so interesting, it's not like I care, why the hell would I care what Hermione thinks of…wait, what did I just call her, that's not right, no, _this _is not right! Though, I have to agree with that portrait me, she _is _pretty cute in person. Okay, this is getting a little to weird, _Malfoy thought, shaking his head.

"Well," Dumbledore whispered, smiling, "now that we've settled the matter of young Miss Granger's looks, shall we continue?"

"Of course Professor," the portrait Malfoy said, then added in a more business tone, "password."

"United." Dumbledore said, then added to Hermione, and Malfoy, "you may if you wish, change the password as you see fit, but you must both be present to do so, and don't think you can fool these two," he gestured to their portrait selves, who were, or more, Malfoy, was waiting for Dumbledore to finish his speech before he opened the portrait hole. Dumbledore then continued, "They have a keen eye, in the matter of noticing if you are really you. But I digress, you can also tell the password to anyone you wish, but be warned, and advised, not to spread it to eagerly around the school."

"Y…Yes, professor." Hermione spoke up for the first time since seeing the portrait.

"Mister Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked questionably, looking down at him though half-moon spectacles.

"Yes, Professor" Malfoy answered finally.

"Then lets processed," Dumbledore said, turning back to the portrait, and nodding that he was finished.

The Malfoy in the portrait inclined his head slightly and the portrait swung forwards, revealing a large doorway into the Heads common room.

"Ladies first, I believe," Dumbledore said, smiling at Hermione, gesturing that she go in first, then added to Malfoy, as she stepped through, "Mister Malfoy, if you please."

For the second time that night her jaw dropped, as Malfoy and Professor Dumbledore entered behind her. They had just entered a room of incredible size. The first thing Hermione spotted was in the very middle of the room, a water fountain. It had four different circular levels, all deposing water into the next slightly bigger level. It had one level in the ground, and in the middle was a circular piece of marble on top of which stood a pillar that held the next level of the fountain witch was a moderately large marble basin, about two feet above the first in the ground, then about a foot above that was another basin making up the next level of the fountain held up by another pillar of marble, finally half a foot above that was the last level of the fountain, it's basin was slightly different from the other basins, that had made up the rest of the fountain, which were quite shallow and over all plain. The basin at the top, however, was about a foot deep, and had mounted on the front, a lion's head, representing Gryffindor, no doubt, and wrapped around the rim of the basin was a serpent, representing Slytherin, of course, the head reaching into the middle of the basin looking up shot an everlasting stream of water up and down into the top basin, and then fell into the basin's below, one after another. All around the upper most basins, Hermione noticed, were handles, as though inviting anyone to dip their feet into the into the ground level pond of water.

_Wow,_ Hermione thought walking towards the fountain, _it's so pretty._ She reached out and touched the falling water that fell smoothly from the top basin.

She pulled her hand away, and continued her exploration of the heads common room, off to one side of the portrait hole, where only Dumbledore now stood, as Malfoy was now looking around for himself, was a moderate sized kitchenette between a set of marble stairs, that resided in every corner of the common room. On the other side of the room, across from the kitchenette, in the middle of the other set of stairs was what made Hermione squeal with excitement, books! Tons of them, they filled the wall between the two staircases.

She ran over to the wall of books, and scanned the shelves eagerly.

'I thought that might of been your idea, Miss Granger." A gentle voice came from behind her; she turned, and saw Dumbledore smiling at her.

"My idea, sir?" Hermione asked, baffled, turning to face her Headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded, "Do you recall that small form that had come with your Head Girl badge?"

"Yes, I remember, sir." Hermione said, uncertainly, "Why, sir?"

"It was from that form, and," he inclined his head towards Malfoy, who was looking over at them from in front of a large fireplace on the opposite wall from the portrait hole, "Mister Malfoy's, too, of course, that helped design this room, and the rest of this splendid dormitory."

"The rest, and how much have you poked your nose into?" Malfoy shot Dumbledore, in a, frankly, rude, then added quickly, "_sir_."

Hermione saw where Malfoy was coming from, and she had to agree that he had a point. This dormitory was hers, and Malfoy's, how it looked was completely their business, no one else. To a certain extent, that is.

"Actually," Dumbledore answered with a smile, "this is the first time I've seem this room."

"Really?" Hermione asked;_ but we don't deserve all this? _She thought to herself.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered, then, as though he had read her mind, added, "and you've worked hard the past years, and deserve every inch of it."

Hermione smiled.

"Now, I think, I'll leave you two at that." Dumbledore said with another smile, and departed through the portrait hole.

"Thank you, professor." Hermione called, as he left.

_Maybe this will turn out to be better than I first thought. _Hermione thought as she turned back to the shelf of books pulled one down, and sat down in one of the many comfy armchairs that were scatter throughout the common room, and began to read it.

"You're just going to read?" A voice asked.

Hermione looked up to see Malfoy staring at her from across the room by the fireplace that roared with lively fire.

"You have a problem with that?" I snapped, getting annoyed.

"No," Malfoy stated flatly, he stared at Hermione for a few more moments before turning on his heels and exiting the room through one, of the two, high glass doors that lead to the one magnificent balcony that stretched all along the wall outside.

"Suit yourself." He called, as he stepped out onto the balcony, into the cool night air.

Without even thinking Hermione got up replaced her book on it's shelve and followed Malfoy outside.

"Thought you were reading." Malfoy said as Hermione walked onto the balcony.

He was sitting on the railing of the balcony, looking up at the stars that were just making their appearance in the night sky. He hadn't looked over when she walked out; he just continued to gaze at the night sky.

"I changed my mind." Hermione retorted hotly, as she strolled over to the railing, a few feet from him, placed her hands on top and looked up at the moon which hung high over the Forbidden Forest.

_Why does she have to look so hot!_ Malfoy thought, as he looked down from the sky and rested he's sights on the girl who stood only a few feet from him, but he knew was completely out of his reach.

_Wait a minute; _Draco thought to himself,_ did I just call her hot? She a mudblood, why the hell would I think she's hot, and why would I even _want_ to touch her?_

_Maybe, because she is hot, and perhaps, you want to touch her, because you like what you see,_ a voice spoke out from the back of his mind.

_No she's not!_ Another voice shot, _and I don't want to touch her, or, do I like what I see!_

_Yes, she is hot, and you do like what you see! Just admit it!_ The first voice ordered him.

_No I won't, because it's not true!_ The second replied angrily.

Not wanting to end up doing something he would regret, he jumped down from the railing, and walked towards the door that lead inside.

"I'm going to bed." Malfoy announced as he came to the door, his hands behind his head, trying to sound as casual as he could.

"What, you want me to tuck you in, and sing you a lullaby?" Hermione voice called out from behind him.

"That would be nice." He replied, allowing a small smile to dance across his lips as he entered the common room.

Hermione watched as Malfoy went inside, then looking back up at the sky, she smiled. She didn't know why she was smiling, but she continued to smile nonetheless.

After about five minutes, a cold wind picked up outside, and she decided, with a shiver, to go back inside.

When she walked inside, she noticed Malfoy sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace; he had his elbows on his knees, and his chin rested in his hands in such a way, that you couldn't see his mouth. He was staring unblinkingly at the roaring fire; he seemed to be quite deep in thought.

"Thought you were going to bed?" Hermione asked him in a mocking tone.

Malfoy's head snapped in Hermione's direction, as he was pulled from his thoughts, by her voice. For a moment he just stared at her, then, with an odd smile Hermione had never seen, he, at least, said, "I was waiting for my lullaby."

"Well, too bad, I'm going to bed, you'll just have to sing yourself to sleep."

Malfoy didn't say anything, he just looked at her. She was the one, and only, girl he could never have, she was, untouchable, and it surprised Malfoy about just how much that fact hurt him. He realized that the girl he shared a dorm with, the girl he could never touch, was the girl he wanted the most.

Hermione stared at him for a moment, then, without another word, started up the stairs to have a look around, forgetting that she had said she was going to go to bed.

As she made her way up to the second floor, Hermione noticed, out of the corner of her eye that Malfoy had gotten up, and was now following her up the stairs.

She reached the landing of the second floor and looked around, it had one door halfway down the hall. Hermione, with Draco behind her, walked up to the door, and entered.

"Wow!" Hermione uttered softly, she entered the bathroom.

"Have to say, they out did themselves this year." Came a voice from behind her.

She turned and saw Malfoy looking around in slight satisfaction. She turned back to admire the bathroom herself, without a word to him. Silently, she did agree with him, the bathroom was amazing; Professor Dumbledore really had out done himself.

In the middle was a gigantic bath, the size of a standard swimming pool. About fifty different knobs lined the edge, she walked over and examined them, each, was either labeled "Bubbles", or "Water". Some, also, had a different scent, from flowers of all sorts, to ones like "fresh baked bread", "chocolate", and "cinnamon".

Hermione brought her eyes away from a tap labeled "Lilac", and continued to look around the Heads bathroom, all around the walls were towels, folded on shelves. By the door there were two hooks, on which hung two terry cloth robes. On the collar of one robe, Hermione saw, was the name Draco Malfoy, written in Slytherin green. On the other robe, on it's collar, was written her name, Hermione Granger, written in Gryffindor Red.

With one last look at the bathroom, Hermione left to see where her bedroom was; Draco followed.

Hermione noticed that the second floor was not all connected, it lined opposite walls. Hermione looked across from in front of the bathroom door, and saw that there were two doors on the other second floor landing, more then likely hers and Malfoys' bedroom's. She walked down to the common room, and then, across to one of the, two, other staircases on the opposite side of the room, and went up.

Draco, however, instead of following Hermione, like he had been for the last few minutes, took the other set of stairs that led to the same landing, and walked into one of the two rooms.

When Hermione reached the landing she went up to the other door, the one Draco hadn't gone into, and noticed that carved into the large oak door was:

_**Head Girl**_

_**Hermione Granger**_

Hermione smiled as she opened the door to her room. The smiled widened as she took in the beautiful room beyond, it was Red, and Gold, the Gryffindor colours. There was a large king-sized bed off to one side with red covers, which had, embroidered on the front of them, her initials, H G. A few, plush looking, deep red, armchairs were scattered around, here, and there.

Beside her bed was a side table with a lamp, beside that was a desk, and chair. The far wall had two high arched windows, and there, between them, were double glass doors that led out to her very own, private, balcony. On the other wall, opposite her bed, were two doors, one had a carving of a Mermaid, the other one was totally blank.

She walked up to the door with the mermaid and poked her head inside, it was a bathroom, much smaller then the other one, and contained only a sink and toilet. She closed the door, and turned her attention to the door with nothing on it.

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**A/N- Well, another chapter over and done with, still kind of short, I know, andI'm so sorry about that.You know what happens, now, please Read&Review! Byes, see you in the next chapter!**


	3. Protecting You In Potions

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS**

**A/N- Here's the next little chapter, hope you like it! **

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Chapter Three: Protecting You In Potions

She opened the unmarked door, cautiously, and peered inside, it was quite different from the rest of the dormitory, it was pitch black, and didn't seem to be a room, but more, a walkway, a passage. Without really thinking she stepped through the door, she didn't even think of lighting her wand, she just made her way though the darkness.

BANG! Hermione jumped, and swiveled around to see what had made the noise, she gave a small sigh of relief when she saw that the door to her room had just closed. She double-checked to make sure that it wasn't locked before turning around to explore this newfound place.

Suddenly, she walked into something, no, someone! Before she knew she was pinned against the wall by someone's hand on her shoulder. She was scared to scream, too scared to even say anything, for that matter.

"Granger?" A familiar voice asked, hesitantly, from the darkness.

"Ma…Malfoy?" Hermione asked back, uncertain.

"Yeah." Malfoy answered, slowly, still not releasing her, and sounding quite relieved. Then, hardening his tone, asked, "What the hell are you doing in here, Granger?"

"I should be asking you that!" Hermione snapped at the darkness.

Then she realized something, even though it was dark, she could tell that his face was mere inches from hers, and that wasn't all, it was, also, coming closer!

_No, stop, this is bad!_ She thought as she brought her hands up, and tried to push him away, but he was to strong, he just kept her pinned against the wall with his body against hers, his face still coming closer.

_What the bloody hell am I going to do?_ Hermione thought desperately, _he's going to kiss me if I don't think of something, and quick!_ Even as she thought this she couldn't help but notice that some strange feeling, one she only vaguely remembered feeling before, was working it's way up her spine, and spreading throughout her body, but what was it, well, what ever it was she didn't want it to go away.

For a moment, her thoughts seemed to not know what to tell her to do about the current situation. Then, out of the blue, a voice from inside her head answered, _who the hell cares?_

_I care!_

_No, you want him to keep going, you want him to kiss you, so just let him._

_I'm not letting him do anything,_ and with that thought clearly etched into her mind, she, somehow, found the strength to push him away.

_No, pull him back, you know you to, you know you want him!_ The annoying little voice in her head told her.

_No way, _and with that she strode down the passageway, and walked back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Hermione leaned back against the door she had just come from, and slid down till her butt hit the floor. _What was that?_ Hermione thought to herself, as she recalled what had just happened. Her mind lingered a while on the fact that Malfoy had almost kissed her. _His arms though, they felt so…good, around me._ It was the truth; there was something about the way he had held her that made her feeling so warm, so secure, and so…safe. _He's Malfoy! If anything he should be making you feel afraid, not safe! He's probably only doing this to make you trust him; besides, he's probably had tons of little practice sessions hugging Pansy._ A voice told her firmly, her other voice seemed to have given up.

Hermione sighed deeply she thought to herself; _it still felt, oddly, good, though._

Malfoy heard her slam the door that led to her room. He walked over to it, and put his head against it, listening, and thinking. He heard her slid down the door, then, he heard her…sigh! Was it form the fact that they had almost kissed! Malfoy couldn't help but grin at the thought.

After he heard her get up, and walk away from her door. He straightened up, and headed back to his room. Once there, he changed into a pair of, dark green, Slytherin boxers, then slid under the covers, but he didn't go to sleep.

He lay awake thinking, and trying to keep his thoughts away from the fact that he had tried to kiss her, thought, _why had that door appeared in the first placed?_ Malfoy looked over at the door that connected his room to Hermione's. _Why the hell would they put a doorway into Hermione's room, in my room, are they asking me to go and have my way with her? _One thing Malfoy really wanted to know was why he, Draco Malfoy, was so disappointed in the fact that Hermione had pushed him away.

Malfoy sat up, looking appalled with himself. _Did I just call her Hermione? She's a mudblood; she doesn't deserve to be called by her name by me!_ He lay back down, and turned onto his side.

Malfoy closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, it seemed to take him hours to complete this task, but, finally, after turning over onto his other side, fell asleep.

Draco woke, early, the next morning, which happened to be a Thursday; he looked over at his clock, 6:00 that meant breakfast didn't start for another two hours!

The sun, which was just peeking out from behind the distant horizon, outside of his bedroom window, creped soundlessly into his bedroom. He heard a door open, and close, next door.

_So_, he thought to himself, _Hermione gets up this early, dose she? Damn it, Draco,_ he cursed, silently, to himself, _stop calling her that!_ _She is a mudblood!_

_A beautiful mudblood, you mean._ A voice echoed in his head.

_She's not beautiful!_ A second voice contradicted the other.

_Are you blind? Of course she is! Did you not see her ass? WOW!_

The conversation going on inside Draco's mind was heading, in his opinion, a bad direction, and he, for one, did not want to follow it there.

So, standing up, he shook his head, and walked to his personal bathroom, did his business, and then, came back into his room.

_Scratch! Scratch!_ Draco jumped at the sound of the scratching issuing from the other side of his bedroom door that led to the second floor landing, drawing his wand, he approached it, he grasped the handle, turn it, and flung it open. He pointed his wand this way, and that, while looking around for what had caused the noise. He felt something soft, brushing passed his legs, and, having his wand go first, looked down.

_A cat?_ Draco thought, as he watched the cat weave its body around his legs, purring softly. _Is it Granger's?_

Draco knelt down a stroked the cat behind the ears, it purred happily. Draco smiled, he didn't know what was making him smile, but he thought it better to just let the smile stay without question.

"Your Granger's, aren't you?" Draco asked the cat in a whisper, knowing full well that it couldn't understand a word he was saying.

It purred again. Draco stood up and went back into his room, the cat followed. He sat on one of the few green armchairs that spotted his bedroom floor, the cat jumped lightly into his lap, and curled into a ball. He scratched it a little behind the ears, and leaned back into the chair as it started purring.

"Crookshanks!" A voice floated up to his room from the common room.

The cat lifted, and turned, its head slightly towards Draco open bedroom door, then closing its eyes returned to its head to its former position.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione's voice came again; this time the cat did nothing.

"Aren't you going to go to her?" Draco asked the cat in a whisper; again, knowing it couldn't understand him, and then, he added, "Crookshanks."

Crookshanks looked up at him at the sound of his name. It then bounded lightly from his lap, and made it's way out towards Hermione's voice.

Draco, after about fifteen minutes of sitting in the comfy armchair, got up and made his way out of his room to go and get a hot bath.

He saw Hermione in the kitchen, robe tied around her, hair damp, and Crookshanks at her feet eating out of a little porcelain dish. She had her back to him so she didn't see him.

Draco made his way quietly to the bathroom, when he was there he turned on the cinnamon scented water, which can out a murky, yet strong red color, then some red, and blue, non-scented bubbles. He undressed, then stepped into the bath, and instantly felt his muscles relax, the hot, cinnamon smelling water, soothed his senses.

About an hour later, he step for the bath, tied his robe around him, and made his way downstairs to his room, as he came out, onto the second floor landing he saw that Hermione was nowhere in sight. _Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?_ Draco shook his head to clear his thoughts, then made his way to his room.

Five minutes later, Draco appeared, fully dressed in his school things, from his room, and walked downstairs carrying a book under his arm. He walked to the couch and sat down, opening the book he had brought with him, _Advance Guide to the Dark Arts_, he didn't know why he was reading this book. Contrary to popular belief, he hated the Darks Arts.

Draco scanned the page he had opened to, he gave a shudder, the page showed a picture of a dementor. _Man, those things are creepy!_ Draco thought as he watched the witch in the same picture cast the spell that warded dementors off, the Patronus charm, the Dementor backed of as a the silvery form of an eagle emerged for the tip of the witch's wand. Draco watched as the dementor was forced back by it, damn, I was I could learn to keep those things at bay like that, Draco thought. Draco hated to admit it, but dementors freaked him out of his mind, and why wouldn't they? The dementors made Draco remember his father, and how he wanted Draco to become a Death Eater, and how his father used the Crucio on him so that he would do as his father asked.

Draco shuddered again, then turned the page to see the steps to doing the 'Patronus' charm, he lazily read though them, thinking he maybe able to teach himself how to do it, but his hopes were stamped to the ground by the very first step, _think of a very happy, and very powerful, memory,_ Draco thought to himself, _there goes my shot at even coming close to being able to do_ that _spell!_

Draco had never had an even slightly happy memory in his entire life, _and all the credit goes to my _loving_ father._ Draco laughed harshly at the joke, thinking, _loving father? He's everything_ but _loving!_

Fumed with anger at his father, he hurled the book into a nearby armchair, and almost jumped out of his skin when a ginger colored thing shot out from beneath it, and ran up the stairs.

"Oh, sorry, Crookshanks." Draco apologized, realizing what it was, but the cat just hissed at him, and swatted the air with one of his paws, claws visible.

Draco stood up and walked to the bottom of the staircase that Crookshanks had just gone up, and tried to softly coax the ginger cat down, "come on Crookshanks, I'm sorry."

Crookshanks didn't move he stayed where he was. Draco put one foot on the bottom step of the stairs, and continued to call, and coax, Crookshanks down. Finally, Crookshanks made his way down to Draco who petted him gently on the head, then slowly picked him up and walked back to the couch and sat down, where Crookshanks curled himself into a ball in his lap, Draco stroked the cat's fur, and soon drifted off to sleep.

Later that day Hermione made he way to potions class with Harry, and an annoyed Ron, at her side.

"Man, how do we always end up having potions with Slytherin?" Harry complained, and then added, "and it's _double_ potions this morning, too!"

"I don't know, but at least you don't have to live with one." Hermione told him.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that." Harry explained.

"Lucky you." Hermione huffed, then thought, _why am I in such a mood? It hasn't, honestly, been that bad, living with Malfoy, so far, that is._

Hermione, Harry, and Ron, all stopped outside the dungeon that was their potions classroom. A few students were already there, Seamus Figginton, Dean Thomas from Gryffindor, and then a few Slytherins, one, Hermione, at least, noticed, was Malfoy, who was leaning against the wall beside the classroom door, talking to Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, who was latched onto Malfoy's arm who seemed to be trying to completely ignore her affection. Her gaze linger on him for a moment then when he turned his head in her direction, she snapped her head around to Harry who had taken up a conversation Ron, who was taking barely above a whisper, about Quidditch.

"That's right!" Hermione almost squealed, looking at Harry, who spun around and looked at her, completely baffled.

"What?" Harry asked her.

"You made Quidditch Captain this year!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling Harry into a congratulatory hug, when she pulled back she saw that Harry was blushing a deep red, but smiling nonetheless, Ron looked like in was in awe, Hermione smiled at this.

Snape came out and beckon the class in, the class entered silently.

Harry took a seat near the back of the classroom, like he always did, Hermione sat down on his right side, and Ron sat down on his left.

"Today," Snape announced to the class, "you will be starting to work on a potion that takes a few days to complete. It is a mind attachment potion."

There was a murmur of whispers that followed Snape's words, which were quickly silenced by a cold glare from Snape, and continued, "Can anyone tell me what a mind attachment potion does?"

Hermione, of course, raised her hand into the air.

Snape stared around the classroom then finally, seeing as there was no one else, called on Hermione to answer the question.

"It attaches your mind to that of another…" Hermione opened her mouth to continue, but Snape interrupted her.

"Without stating the obvious." Snape said to the class, who reminded silent, so he said, "pity, looks like extra homework to…"

"Please sir, I was just about to say that the mind attachment potion allows you to see, and feel, everything that someone else has, or is." Hermione said across Snape's words.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor, for interrupting a teacher," Snape declared, "and another twenty for speaking out of turn in general, Miss Granger."

Hermione glared at him, saying nothing, she could tell that today was not going to be her day.

"Twenty more for that unkind glare of yours, Miss Granger." Snape added, staring down at her. "I'd suggest that you stop acting like a two year old, pouting, and start _listening_, Miss Granger."

Draco watched the scene play out across the room from where he sat in Potions class, he had never really noticed it before, but Snape was exceptionally cruel to Hermione, Draco had, in the past, thought that he was that mean to all Gryffindors, but he seemed to be even crueller to Hermione. Draco could help but feel the tiniest bit sorry for her. Snape had, after all, asked a question, she knew the answer, and he had called on her, and then interrupted her halfway through her explanation.

"Stupid, know it all, mudblood!" Pansy said under her breath to Draco.

"Huh?" Draco mumbled, and then realizing what Pansy said, "Oh, yeah, I, uh, guess so."

"You _guess_ so!" Pansy whispered in a disbelieving tone of voice.

"I mean," Draco studded, _Damn Draco, pull it together, you're supposed to hate her! _Hate_ her,_ Draco thought as he said to Pansy, "of course, she's always tries to be little miss prefect, and make the rest of us look bad."

Pansy, thankfully, seemed content with his comment and turned her attention to Snape who was still at the desk Hermione, Harry, and Ron, were stationed at.

"I think I will choose the partners that will work together on the mind attachment potion." Snape stated, an evil glint in his eyes, "and, I think, that I will start by putting Mister Potter with, lets see, Miss Parkinson, yes, that will do."

Pansy look terrified, she looked to Draco as though expecting him to do something, but, though he didn't let it show on his face, Draco was quite pleased to see that she was partnered with someone that wasn't him. Seeing that Draco wasn't going to do anything, Pansy stood and walked over to a spare table that Snape had directed her, and Potter, to.

When Pansy and Potter were seated, Snape turned to Ron, who looked as terrified as Pansy had been when she had heard who she had been partnered with.

"Now, Mister Weasley, would you please take a seat at that desk there," Snape gestured to a empty desk on the opposite side of the room from Harry, "and," Snape paused, looking around, "Mister Zambini, would you please join him."

Both Ron, and Blaise, groaned, but, nevertheless, did as they were told.

"And, now," Snape sneered, with a twisted smile on his face, "Miss Granger, you will be partnered with…"

Hermione stared at him, eyes narrowed, to Draco, who was watching her with the up most curiosity, thought she looked as thought she was daring Snape to do his worst.

"Mister Malfoy." Snape finished; Hermione didn't even look the least bit shocked at his words.

"Now, take that desk there." Snape pointed to the very back of the room, at a desk that sat between two stone pillars.

As Hermione stood she said, in a voice just loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough to make it seem like she had said it to herself, "Like I didn't see _that_ one coming."

"What did you say, Miss Granger." Snape said in a deadly tone.

"Nothing, Professor." Hermione replied innocently.

Snape eyed her, knowing damn well said hadn't said 'nothing', as she made her way to the table she had been instructed to sit at.

Draco stood up slowly and followed her to the table._ Damn, she loves pushing her luck with him, doesn't she?_ Draco asked himself, as he sat down beside Hermione, who was watching Snape with a cold glare as he went around pairing up the rest of the class. _And continues to push it,_ Draco added.

"Now," Snape declared, walking up to the front of the class once more, he pointed his wand at the blackboard behind him and the instruction for the potion appeared, as he said, "begin!"

Draco watched as Hermione quickly jotted down the instructions, then double, and triple, checked that she had copied them down properly. She then stood up; she placed her hand written copy of the instructions on the desk, and, after running her finger over the list of ingredients, started towards the supply cupboard.

Less than five minutes later, Hermione came back to the desk, her hands full of jars that contained all first ten ingredients, she placed them down, and then, with another glance at the list of ingredients, went to get more.

_This will take forever, there's, like, a hundred ingredients in this potion!_ Draco thought, as a groaned escape his lips. He looked over the ingredients that Hermione had already brought out, then up at the board. He stood, and assuming that Hermione had gone to get another ten ingredients, memorizes the ingredients twenty-one, to thirty.

He entered the supply cupboard, and surprisingly found that it was empty, except, of course, Hermione, who was looking through one of the many cupboards that lined the wall.

Draco walked over to a bin that contain an ingredient they needed for the potion, Hermione didn't even look around, obviously assuming that it was another student, either that, or, she hadn't heard him come in. It was evident which one it was when the door slammed close with a bang and she jumped, nearly two feet, into the air, and turned.

"Man, you really are jumpy today, aren't you Granger." Draco said, with total amusement in his voice.

"What are you doing in here?" Hermione asked him, ignoring his comment in its entirety.

"Me?" Draco asked.

"Yes, you." Hermione clarified, sounding annoyed.

"If you haven't noticed, there's at least a hundred ingredients in this potion, and seem to only be able to take ten at a time." Draco informed her.

Hermione eyed him, skeptically, but Draco just continued to move around the room collecting the ingredients they needed. So, reluctantly, Hermione turned back to the cupboard she had been going through, looking for ingredients.

Draco had been piling some bat wings into a spare jar when he heard a scream, and a crash, from behind him; he whipped around to see Hermione back up against a wall, looking at the cupboard across from her in horror. Draco looked over at the cupboard, just in time to see a rat crawl out and scurry away through a, fairly large, crack in the wall. Draco smirked, thinking, _so granger is scared of rats, is she?_ Draco took into notice that a jar of, slimy looking, pure white liquid covered the ground beneath the cupboard the rat had been in, that Hermione had obviously dropped. Pieces of broken glass were scattered beneath the cupboard as well.

He watched as Hermione, oblivious to the mess on the floor walked towards the cupboard. Draco saw what was coming before it happened, Hermione's foot slipped on the white liquid, and fell backwards, Draco lunged forwards, catching Hermione around the waist, unfortunately, when he made to stand up his own foot slid, and slipped, on the split liquid. He, along with Hermione, came crashing down to the floor. Draco threw out his hand to break the fall, but was met with pain; his hand had landed on one of the pieces of glass from the broken jar.

"Damn!" Draco cursed, as his arm gave out due to the pain, and he landed on the floor, a few more pieces of broken glass piercing his body, as his head made contact with the hard dungeon floor, giving off a sickening THUD! Hermione landed on top of him, then screamed so loud that Draco was surprised when now came bustling into the room.

Draco, head throbbing painfully, sat up to see what was wrong, it wasn't the prettiest sight to see, Hermione's right leg had collided with the corner of one of the bins of ingredients, leaving a, rather nasty looking, long, and deep gash running along the inside of her leg.

Draco eased himself out from underneath Hermione, who was now crying due to the pain of her leg, and crawled the few feet between himself and Hermione's injured leg. He knelt beside it and drew his wand, and, pointing it at Hermione's leg, said, "_Episkey!_"

The wound on Hermione's leg healed slightly. _Damn! Why won't this spell ever work properly for me?_ Draco thought as he repeated the spell, healing the cut a little more.

"Come on!" Draco urged his wand, and himself, "_Episkey!_"

It took three more times of repeating the spell for the gash to heal over. Hermione sat up, slowly, wiping the tears from her face. She looked at her leg, and winced. Draco looked down at it, too; it was still covered in blood.

"Oh, sorry," Draco apologized, before he knew what he was saying, then, pointing his wand at Hermione's leg once, said, "_Tergeo_," and the blood disappeared.

"Thanks," Hermione said weakly, feeling her leg gently, then looked up at Draco, and gave him a small smile, and, before he even realized what he was doing, he returned it.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, and quickly seized Draco's hand in hers, which sent a shiver down his spine.

Draco looked down, and saw that she had grabbed the hand of his that he had thrown out to, unsuccessfully, break the fall. It was covered in blood, and it still had the piece of glass wedged into it. Now that Draco was aware of it, he noticed that it was stinging with a moderate amount of pain, and his head was still throbbing.

Hermione drew her wand, then paused, and said, "There's still glass in it, and I can't heal it till the glass is removed. Oh, I know!"

Hermione whirled around so that her back was just barely brushing against Draco's chest. She placed his arm, the one that had the bleeding hand, under her arm, and held it steady with one hand. With the other hand, Hermione pointed her wand at the shards of glass that scattered the floor, and muttered, "_Reparo,_" and the pieces of glass, including the one in Draco's hand soared together, and merged. Draco had let out a howl of pain when the piece in his hand had flown out, but he was slightly relived that it was finally out of his hand.

Hermione, without taking his arm out from under hers, pointed her wand at his hand and muttered. "Episkey," and the cut heal at once, she then did the spell Draco had done, "Tergeo," and cleaned his hand of blood.

Draco shivered once more as Hermione traced her finger over his hand, making sure it had healed properly. Draco couldn't help but close his eyes, and let his mind wander, as he took in the scent of her hair, _so she used peach scented water this morning in her bath, huh?_

"You can get up, now." A voice brought him from his thoughts.

Hermione was now standing up in front of him, he noticed, also, that she had clear the liquid off the floor with her wand. Draco stood up, furious with himself for been so captivated by Hermione's smell.

"Come on." Hermione said, as she picked up some jars of ingredients from the counter, "We don't need all the ingredient right, now."

"Whatever." Draco muttered.

They went back to there seats; Draco was surprised that no one, especially Snape, asked them what had taken them so long, although Pansy was now giving him a questionable look, but shook her head slightly and turned back to the cauldron in front of her.

Draco watched as Hermione added the ingredients to the cauldron in front of them. Then, she looked up and over towards Draco, she leaned towards him, and stretched out her hand.

Draco held his breathe for a split second, and then realized that Hermione was trying to reach the bottle of bat wings on the other side of him. He shook his head, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, to clear it of thoughts.

"Here." Draco said, as he picked up the bottle and handed it to Hermione.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Hermione said, taking the bat wings, and adding two to the potion in the cauldron.

Half an hour before the class was finished Draco, and Hermione had their potion at the stage where all they could do was watch it steam, and bubble. Seeing this, Snape made his way over to their table.

"Now, let's see, take a vial of the potion each, at this point, it should link your minds for only about ten, to fifteen, minutes, instead of the hour the complete potion allows, and show you the others memories. How far back the memories go depends on how well you've followed the instructions. You will see the memories together, if you find yourselves seeing a memory you do not wish to share you can try to fight the memory back, you may use any spell, or means, to fend off each other out of your respected. Now, Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, you must drink at the same time, now, proceed."

Hermione, and Draco, both did as they were told; they filled a vial each with some of the potion then, slowly she, and Draco, raised it to their lips and drank it, Hermione was looking Draco squarely in the eyes, and, surprisingly, he didn't look away.

At first, Hermione's vision clouded, and then became unnaturally clear. She was standing in a dark room, then, suddenly; Draco appeared beside her, he looked horrified at where he was. Hermione knew at once that this was a memory that he didn't want to share, but he was the only one who was allowed to fight it off.

Then, from behind them, Hermione heard a moan, she turned, and there, lying on a bed of dark green sheets, was Draco Malfoy, backed into the corner of his bed. Her stomach lurched; he had a cut down the side of his pale face that leaked blood all over the bed. His clothes were in tatters, showing off a thousand more cuts and wounds, and, Hermione couldn't believe it, he was crying, but it didn't seem he was crying from pain, that doubt was being caused by the gashes all over his body. The Draco Malfoy on the bed was looking, terrified, towards the bedroom door, Hermione turned towards it, just as someone pounded on it.

"DRACO! DRACO GET OUT HERE, NOW!" A voice bellowed through the door, the Draco on the bed shuddered immensely, and continued to sob, while the Draco standing beside Hermione gave an involuntary shudder and start to back up against the wall, once his back touched the wall he turned towards it slightly, blocking his tear strained face from view, that very moment the door blast open. Hermione looked back towards it with a jump.

Hermione gasped, there, standing in the doorway, his face livid was Lucius Malfoy. The Draco on the bed screamed, "PLEASE! FATHER! PLEASE, DON'T!"

Hermione watched helpless, knowing it was a memory, knowing that this had all ready taken-place. Lucius drew his wand, and pointed it at his son. The eyes of the Draco on the bed widen with horror at his Father next word, "Crucio!"

"OHMIGOD!" Hermione breathed, covering her ears as the Draco who had had the curse placed upon him let out a high-pitched scream.

Hermione had had enough, she ran to the Draco who was shaking against the wall behind her.

"MALFOY!" Hermione yelled, grabbing the front of his robes and shaking him, but he didn't respond, he only cringed horribly.

"MALFOY!" Hermione yelled again, in a more urgent tone of voice, he cringed again.

Then the screaming behind Hermione died down, she turned, and saw Lucius seize Dracos' his silvery blond hair and yank him from his bed.

"Now, would you care to repeat what you just said," Lucius asked his son in a deadly voice, not letting go of his hair, "about that filthy mudblood, Granger? Was it?"

No answer.

Lucius threw Draco to the floor, where he stayed there, sobbing.

Lucius looked down at him in disgust, then, for the second time pointed his wand at him, and uttered, "Crucio," and the room was, once again, filled with Draco's screams.

Hermione turned back to the Draco Malfoy who was now curled up in a ball at the base of the wall.

"MALFOY!" Hermione shouted, clutching the front of his robes once more, and kneeling beside him.

Another cringe.

Then a thought struck Hermione, she, slowly, moved closer to Malfoy, closing the gap between them, she looked up into his, down cast, face. His eyes were closed tight.

Hermione bit her lip slightly, and then opened her mouth to speak, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"_Draco_."

Draco's eyes snapped open and he looked at Hermione.

"Fight it." Hermione told him, softly, yet forcefully.

"I can't." Draco told her, shakily.

"Yes, you can." Hermione told him, looking intently into his, now, completely gray, eyes.

Draco just looked at her, at this Hermione added, "Now, fight it."

Draco grabbed her hands that were still clutching the front of his robes, and then closed his eyes; Hermione knew he was concentrating on forcing the memory away. At first, it seemed like Draco didn't have the strength to force it away, but the scene faded, gradually, around.

Soon. Draco, and Hermione, found them selves on the floor of their potions classroom. Hermione was clutching Draco's robes, and Draco was still clutching her hands. Hermione looked around, into the stunned, and slightly concerned faces of her peers, the Slytherins were looking at Draco, and the Gryffindors at Hermione.

Hermione looked back at Draco, who was sitting there, eye's wide, she could figure out what she saw them, exactly. They were still gray, but they seemed confused, sad, and, Hermione was certain she saw it there, fearful.

"Get up!" Came an icy hiss from above them.

Hermione, and Draco, both looked up into the dark, and angry, face of their potions master, Professor Serevus Snape.

"I said, GET UP!" Professor Snape repeated, in an even more dangerous voice.

Hermione, and Draco, did as they were told.

"I suppose, by observing your _actions_," Snape spoke the last word in a voice full of venom, "that the potion worked."

"Yes, professor." Hermione answered, her voice starting to break, "It worked."

Snape, however, seemed to be waiting for Draco to answer the question.

Finally, after a few moments of silence, Draco seemed to find his voice, and managed a, barely auditable, "yes, sir."

"Who's memory had it been?" Snape enquired.

Hermione was about to answer, feeling that Draco won't be up to it, when he proved her wrong and said, little louder then the last time he had spoken, "Mine."

"Yours?" Snape asked, looking slightly worried, now.

"Yes." Draco answered.

"From how far back?" Snape asked.

Draco fell silent for a moment, while Hermione thought about how young the Draco in the memory had looked, and then Draco answered, "I was eleven."

"Eleven?" Snape repeated Draco's word, looking vaguely impressed.

"Yes."

"I must say, I'm impressed, most wizards can only make the potion, at this stage, take them back only a year, or two. In any case, since you are finished, then you are dismissed." Snape informed them, then turned back to the class, and, noticing that all eyes had come to rest on Hermione, and Draco, snapped, "Get back to work!"

Everyone started to turn back to the cauldrons one their desk, when Pansy stood up, looking furious.

"Professor Snape, sir?" Pansy asked in her calmest voice.

"Yes, Miss Parkinson?" Snape replied.

"Well, you see I don't think that's fair, um," Pansy seemed to be mauling over how to phrase her next word, "_Miss_ _Granger_, got to see a memory of Draco's, but Draco never got to see a memory of hers, and that's not fair!"

"Unfortunately, the potion wore off." Snape told Pansy.

Pansy was just about to retort when Snape cut across her, "You do, however, have a point."

Snape turned back towards Draco, and Hermione, who had just finished putting their books in their bags, and said, "You two, will try again."

Hermione looked at Snape as though he was mad, Draco, on the other hand, looked pale, and scared.

"Well," Snape said, sounding annoyed, "get on with it!"

"Yes, sir." Hermione answered, but Draco stayed quite, Hermione glanced over at him, _I feel so sorry for him, even for Malfoy, that's a terrible thing to have happen. I hope the potion doesn't show us that memory again, I don't think he'll be able to handle it, this time._

Hermione filled a vial with some more of the potion in hers, and Draco's cauldron. After a moment, Draco did the same with another vial. They turned towards each other, Hermione looked into Draco's still gray eyes. _He's still scared_, Hermione thought, noticing the frighten look in Draco's eye's, _I can see it. Damn, Professor Snape's a prat!_

After a few seconds of just staring at each other, Hermione started to raise the vial of potion to her lips, Draco raised his, and, together, they swallowed their portion.

Again, for the second time that class, Draco's vision clouded, _I'm scared. I don't want to see that, again._ Draco thought to himself as his vision began to clear he cringed at the thought at what memory might be shown, then, he felt a small hand wrap itself around him right arm, he turned his head and saw Hermione looking up at him with wide, and worried eyes. _Her face, why do I find such comfort in it?_ Draco asked, inwardly, _I'm not afraid of anything, not even my father, when I looked at her face._

Draco looked forward, at the scene that had formed around them, to Draco's relief, they were outside, and he realized at once that they were back in the memories of their fourth year, during the Yule Ball.

"Um, Victor," A voice came from an opening in the hedges off to Draco's left, he recognized the voice at once; it was Hermione and she continued to talk, "Where are we going, Harry, and Ron, will start getting worried."

Draco watched as Hermione, led by Victor Krum, the Seeker of the Bulgarian Quidditch team emerged from around the corner, from the opening in the hedge. They went over to a stone bench Krum didn't answer her.

The Hermione on Draco's arm tighten her grip, and leaned her head against his arm, he could feel her whole body shaking slightly as she watched, with wide eyes, the scene before them.

"Victor!" A shocked voice yelled.

Draco turned to see that the Hermione sitting on the bench was no longer sitting. She was flat on her back, and Victor Krum was directly on top of her.

_What the fuck!_ Draco thought as he watched Krum run his hands all over Hermione's, fourteen year old, body. _I think I'm going to be sick!_ Draco realized, as he watched Krum violate the Hermione on the bench.

"DON''T, VICTOR, PLEASE. STOP!" sobbed the memory of Hermione trying to push Krum away, but Krum put one hand over her mouth, and the other continued its, unwelcome, exploration of Hermione's body.

Draco turned to the Hermione beside him, he wrapped the arm that she wasn't clinging to around her frightened body, and pulled her closer to him, while whispering, "Fight it."

Hermione looked up at him with watery, chocolate brown, eyes. Draco leaned towards her, touching his forehead to hers, "it's a memory, it can't do a thing to you."

Hermione didn't look completely convinced, and Draco didn't blame her, so he added, "And if it tries," Hermione's eyes widened in anticipation, and fear, "I'll protect you."

Hermione looked at him for a moment, then whispered, "but I'm afraid."

"Don't be," Draco said to her, "I'm right here."

Hermione looked as though she had only just realized the truth of the statement Draco had just made.

"You…are?" Hermione asked him, uncertain.

"Yes, can' t you see me?" Draco asked her.

Hermione closed her eyes, and buried her head into Draco's shoulder, while murmuring a small, "Yes."

"Then fight it." Draco told her.

She nodded into his shoulder, and held his arm tighter, with both her arms. Slowly, the picture around them, of Krum slipping Hermione out of her pink dress robes, faded away. A few moments later, Draco, with Hermione on his arm, saw their potions classroom come into view.

Draco looked around, the whole class, yet again, had their eyes glued to the him, and Hermione, who, Draco noticed, had still not let go of his arm. Draco looked down at her, just as she looked up at him, Draco was surprised to see that she wasn't crying, though her eyes seemed keen to change that, they were glassy looking, as tears lined them, but they didn't fall, Hermione seemed more than determined to not let that happen.

Draco looked at his potions master, Professor Snape; he looked as though he would like nothing more then to vaporize him, and Hermione, on the spot. Keeping his voice as calm as possible, which seemed to be fairly difficult, said, "Dismissed, now, get out!"

Without even answering, Hermione grabbed her bag from the desk, and ran from the classroom, Draco stood, rooted to the spot, thinking, _what do I do?_ Then, without even waiting for his mind to answer him, Draco grabbed his own bag from the desk, and hurried after Hermione, as he opened the door of the classroom to hallway, he saw Hermione nearing the end of it. _I have to catch up to her,_ Draco thought; _I have to talk to her!_

"Granger!" Draco called, and not caring that the door to the potions classroom was still wide open, he ran down the hall, "Granger, wait up!"

"I said, wait up!" Draco said, as he came up beside Hermione, he grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him.

"What do you want?" Hermione yelled, looking him in the face, and Draco noticed that she had lost the battle with her tears; they were starting to leak from her amber eyes.

_What do I do? I want to help her,_ Draco thought, not caring that he had just, finally, admitted, to himself, that he cared for Hermione. He began to reach out to hold Hermione, when…

"HERMIONE!"

Draco turned to see Potter, and Pansy, standing a few feet away. Potter ran forward and grabbed both Hermione's arms and pulled her towards him, and then he turned to Draco.

"What the hell did you do to her, Malfoy?" Harry shouted, furiously.

Draco stayed quiet; he looked at Hermione who was clinging lightly to Potter's arm, tears streaming down her face. She just stared back, not saying a word. Why doesn't she look away? Why does she just keep looking at me like that for? She looks, almost, …broken. Draco thought, and then he noticed that his eyes felt like they were burning, then he realized that his eyes were beginning to water. _I'm_ crying_? No! I'm not!_ With that, Draco furiously wiped his eyes just before the first tear fell.

"I'll ask you once more, Malfoy!" Harry said, keeping his voice steady, but at the same time full of rage, and pure venom, oblivious to the fact that Draco had almost cried, "What did you do to Hermione?"

"Don't you blame my Draco!" Pansy yelled; lunging forward and grabbing Draco by the arm, making him turn away from Hermione's tear streaked face.

"Come on, Draco," Pansy said, throwing a dark look at Hermione, and Harry, "I want to see the Heads dorm, pretty please!"

Draco took one last look at Hermione, before turning, and walking down the hallway, Pansy on his arm.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, once Draco, and Pansy, had turned the corner at the end of the hall.

Hermione looked up at him, and, in a very quiet voice, replied, "Yes?"

"What did he do to you?" Harry asked her, his voice serious.

"Nothing." Hermione answered him, in the same quiet voice.

"That's a lie, Hermione," Harry told her, "I know it is."

"It's not!" Hermione confirmed, a little more forcefully.

"Yes, it is!" Harry corrected her.

"No, it's not!" Hermione shouted, she swayed on the spot, and held a hand to her face, _I can't take much more of this._

"HERMIONE!" Harry yelled sounding alarmed, reaching out and catching Hermione before she fell, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Harry." Hermione assured him, trying to steady herself.

"No your not!" Harry retorted.

"Harry, don't start that, again, please." Hermione pleaded, "why are you out of class, anyway?"

"Somehow, me, and that Pansy girl, finished, so Snape had no choice, but to dismiss us." Harry told her, and then shaking his head and looking at Hermione, said, "Stop that, Hermione. Stop changing the subject. Come on, I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing."

"Harry," Hermione begged, "please, don't, I just need to be alone right, now."

"Hermione," Harry started, but Hermione cut him off.

"Just leave me alone," Hermione told him, "I'm going back to my common room."

"But Malfoy's up there!" Harry reminded her.

"I don't care, I'll go in my room," Hermione said, and then added, "he more than likely be in his own room, anyway."

"We have Charms to get to." Harry reminded her.

"I'll make it up, Professor Flitwick knows me," Hermione said, "I've never missed a class before."

Harry stared at her for another moment, and then sighed, "Alright, fine."

"Don't worry, I just need some time alone," Hermione assured him, "I'll be in class the rest of the day."

"Alright, maybe try and get some sleep, or something." Harry suggested.

"Yeah." Hermione said, then turned, and went down the corridor Draco had led Pansy down.

"United." Hermione told the portrait, and it swung forward to admit her.

She walked into the common room to find Draco sitting on the couch with Pansy sitting on his lap. They both looked up as she entered.

"Get out!" Pansy shrieked at her, "Filthy Mudblood!"

"Shove it, Pansy!" Hermione huffed, "In truth, it's _you_ that has no right being in here!"

"How do you figure that?" Pansy questioned her, and then added, "Mudblood!"

"Let's see, I'm Head Girl, and you're not!" Hermione said.

"So, what, Draco invited me here!" Pansy informed her, she then turned to Draco, who had been surprisingly quiet during the girls quarrel, "Didn't you, Draco?"

"…"

"DRACO!" Pansy shrieked, standing up.

"What?" Draco asked her.

Pansy just stood there, shocked. Then, she turned and headed towards the portrait hole. She walked passed Hermione, then stopped.

"Mudblood?" Pansy said, under her breath.

"What?" Hermione asked, turning slightly.

WHACK!

Pansy's hand came in pain full contact with Hermione's cheek; Hermione could even feel Pansy's long fingernails pierce her skin.

"Great!" Pansy said looking at the hand she had just slapped Hermione with, "I have to wash my hands, now, thanks to you!"

"If I were you I'd just have a bath, there's no way that your hand is the only thing that's dirty!" Hermione shot.

Pansy looked as though she might explode with anger, she took one, daring, step towards Hermione.

Hermione eyed the foot that had moved an inch, or so, forward, then looked up at Pansy, "Is that suppose to be a threat?"

"Yes, I do believe it is Mudblood." Pansy confirmed.

"Well, then," Hermione took a small step towards Pansy, "Twenty-five points from Slytherin for threatening another student."

Pansy opened her mouth to retort, but Hermione didn't give her the chance to speak, "And another Twenty-Five for that 'student' being Head Girl!"

Pansy lunged forwards, arms outstretched; she seized Hermione around the throat and knocked her to the ground. Hermione's head hit the hard marble floor, almost knocking her out. Pansy's hands tighten around her throat.

_It's getting dark? _Hermione thought, _why is it so dark? I can't breathe! Oh God, I'm going to die! Please, someone, anyone…help me._

_

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**A/N-Cliffy! Now, how's that fora chapter! There will be more chapters of this length, so don't think this is just a once in this story thing.Please, Read&Review! Byes for now!**


	4. Blue Eyed Savior

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE TERRIFIC CHARACTERS

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Chapter Four: Blue Eyed Savoir

_It's so warm. Where am I? My chest, it feels warm. Where am I?_

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she then realized that she was being carried, on someone's back, her hands hanging over their shoulders. Then she noticed that that 'someone' had silvery blonde hair.

"Malfoy," Hermione said in a weak whisper, the person carrying her stopped and looked back at her with intense looking blue-grey eyes.

"So, your awake are you?" Draco Malfoy asked, "'bout time."

"Shut up…" Hermione started, but she never finished the sentence, the darkness was engulfing her again, and for some reason, that frightened her terribly, she started to cry.

"What the bloody hells wrong, now?" Draco asked her.

"Don't let it take me," Hermione pleaded, as the darkness grew even darker around her.

"What?" Draco asked, Hermione barely noted that he sounded slightly worried.

"Please," Hermione cried, hot tears burning her eyes, "don't let them take me."

"What? What do you mean?" Wait, wake up!" Draco's voice called out to her, but it was no use, the darkness had already taken her; the last thing she saw was a pair of steel-blue eyes, full of worry and concern, looking back at her.

When Hermione, finally, woke up, she noticed that she was lying in one of the beds in the Hospital Wing. She tried to sit up, but fell back down immediately, holding her head.

_I feel so dizzy._ Hermione noticed, _but what happened to me? I can't remember anything, what happened to me?_ Suddenly, something flashed across Hermione's mind, _I remember eyes, steel-blue eyes, staring at me concerned, and almost…afraid._

"Oh, Miss Granger," A voice came through her thoughts, "your awake!"

Hermione looked over and saw Madame Pomfrey hurrying towards her.

"What happened?" It was all Hermione could say.

"I didn't expect you to remember," Madame Pomfrey mulled, "What is the last thing you do remember, Miss Granger?"

"I remember," Hermione began, but was interrupted by someone bursting into the Hospital Wing.

"Madame Pomfrey, is Hermione alright?" Harry enquired, skidding to a halt at the end of Hermione's bed, Ginny was right behind him, with Ron bringing up the rear. They all had the same look of frightful concern placed upon their faces.

"Would you please keep your voices _down_? I have other patients in here, you know!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, she gestured around to the two other occupied beds, which had a sleeping Neville lying in one, and a sleeping Goyle in the other (their mind attachment potion had somehow exploded).

"Sorry," Harry apologized, and then sat down in the chair closest to Hermione's bedside, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Hermione answered, though her voice was still weak, "I guess."

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, running to Hermione's side and looking down at her.

"Miss Weasly, please lower your tone," Madame Pomfrey pleaded, then added, "and would you all please leave, I need to check her over."

"Sorry, but Madame Pomfrey," Ginny said, in an urgent tone of voice. "Look at Hermione's neck! There are red marks all over it!"

"What? Let me see," Madame Pomfrey hurried forward, Ginny backed up so that Madame Pomfrey could see the marks, "Miss Granger, these are hand marks, who did this to you?"

"I don't remember," Hermione said, truthfully.

"Hermione stop covering for that stupid git!" Harry yelled, not caring about waking Neville up.

"Mister Potter, please, watch your language!" Madame Pomfrey warned him.

"Its Malfoy who did this to you, wasn't it!" Harry yelled, not even apologizing for his language. "And don't lie!"

"Harry, really," Hermione pleaded, "I don't remember."

Harry looked at her intensely for a second, and then slumped back in his chair, "I'm just worried about you Hermione."

"I know you are, but," Hermione stopped as she felt the urge to puke sneak up on her; she put a hand to her mouth.

"Hermione!" Harry was on his feet, looking at her with alarm.

"All of you out, right now!" Madame Pomfrey spoke up, and without waiting for them to retort, she kicked them out, and closed the Hospital Wing doors behind them.

"Just rest, Miss Granger," Madame Pomfrey soothed, making her way back to Hermione's bed, "you'll feel better after a good long rest."

Hermione waited a moment before responding, making sure that the feeling of barfing had subsided, said, "Thank you."

"Just rest." Madame Pomfrey repeated.

Hermione did as she was told, she lay back in her hospital bed, and within minutes, she was fast a sleep.

At the end of the day, Hermione, feeling much better she had been allowed to leave the hospital wing, headed for her common room. Madame Pomfrey had been sceptical of allowing Hermione to leave, considering she had been admitted with finger marks along her neck, but since Hermione could, in no way, remember who had done it, she had had no choice, but to allow Hermione to leave.

Hermione walked along the corridors, than stopped, when she heard voices, coming from the corridor up ahead.

"Ron, come on," Came Harry's voice, from around the corner just up ahead, "just apologize to her already!"

Hermione peeked, cautiously, around the corner, to see Harry, and Ron, walking along it, away from her. She, also, noticed that Ron wasn't walking himself; Harry had a grip on Ron's upper left arm, and was dragging him down the corridor.

"Why?" Ron retorted hotly, "She told me to eat dragon dung!"

"Only because you just about cut off her blood flow!" Harry reasoned, still dragging Ron by the arm, "besides, aren't you the least bit worried about who put those finger marks on her neck!"

"Of course, I am!" Ron shouted, then his voice became quiet, "but,"

"But nothing!" Harry interrupted him, "if you're worried, then you're worried, and you should visit her, there's no two ways about!"

_Harry's always the one who tries to keep us together,_ Hermione smiled to herself as she thought this. She tiptoed down the corridor when she saw Harry, and Ron, exit the other end. She got to the end, and looked around the corner to see where they were, they were already halfway down the hall.

"Harry," Ron wondered aloud, "are you even sure this is the way to the Heads dorm?"

"Weren't you the who said that Percy told you that, when he was Head boy, his dorm was up on the seventh floor, through the portrait of himself, and the Head Girl." Harry asked Ron, turning the next corner; Hermione followed them, silently.

"Oh," Ron admitted, gloomily, "right."

"Ron you can't deny that she deserves an apology for what happened on the train, anyway." Harry pointed out.

"Well, no," Ron admitted, even more gloomily.

"Then will you please walk by yourself?" Harry asked in an annoyed voice.

"Fine," Ron gave in, Harry released him, and Ron walked in stride beside him.

"Hey," Ron suddenly spoke up after a couple minutes; Hermione noticed that they were now only a small ways from the Heads common room, as Ron said, with a moderate amount of alarm in his voice, "what if we run into Malfoy!"

"So what, we can take him," Harry said, as though it were the most obvious thing in world.

"And _he_ can take house points," Ron reminded Harry, "he's Head boy, now!"

"Oh," Harry said, as this thought occurred to him, "well, I'm sure we won't run into him, he'll more than likely be in his room shagging some idiot girl."

Ron laughed, and then said, "I have to agree with you there, mate."

Hermione suddenly felt like her heartstrings were being pluck, at the sound of Malfoy shagging some girl, but she brushed the feeling away, immediately.

Harry, and Ron, turned down the corridor that had the portrait to the Heads common room on the wall.

"What the fuck!" Ron swore, as they reached the portrait of Hermione, and Draco.

_Oh! I forgot the portrait!_ Hermione realized, _Ohmigod! How on earth am I going to explain it?_

"Hey!" Came Draco's voice, Hermione he that it was the portrait version, and not the real thing, "there is a lady present, so please, watch your tongue!"

"So, we're just supposed to stand here and watch you shag our best friend!" Ron hollered at the portrait of Hermione, and Draco.

"Ron, you do realize that it's just a portrait, right?" Harry asked his best friend, looking at him as though he had lost his marbles.

Ron suddenly became quiet, and said in a small voice, "yeah, I knew that."

There was a moment's pause then Hermione watched, from around a corner, as Harry knocked on the portrait's frame. Hermione heard Draco's voice came through the portrait door, "Who's there?"

Harry, and Ron, looked at each other, not knowing what to say, or if they should say anything, at all.

Hermione took this as her clue to make her appearance. She walked, slowly, around the corner, then called, "Harry, what are you doing here?"

Both Harry, and Ron, jumped and turned.

"Hermione!" Harry ran forward, and gave her a brief, slightly awkward, hug, then put an arm around her shoulder, and walked with her back to Ron.

"Um," Ron started, "Hermione?"

"What?" Hermione said in a sour tone, she was still mad at him for hurting her wrist so much, though she knew she was just being petty.

Ron winced slightly at the tone of her voice, "Well, I just, wanted, you know, to say…I'm sorry."

Hermione waited a few moments before saying, "Me, too, I hadn't meant to snap at you like I did."

"It's okay, I deserved it." Ron reasoned.

"No you didn't." Hermione told him.

"Yes I did." Ron contradicted.

"No, you didn't"

"Did."

"Didn't!"

"All right, guys, enough!" Harry shouted, putting an end to Hermione's, and Ron's, pointless contradicting of each other.

Hermione, and Ron, started laughing, then, after a moment, Harry did, too.

"Want to see the Heads common room?" Hermione asked.

"Sure!" Harry, and Ron, answered in unison.

"Step back somewhat, I need to tell it the password," Hermione told them.

Harry, and Ron, hesitated for a moment, but stepped back about ten, or more, feet.

"United," Hermione whispered to the portrait, and the portrait swung open, and, seeing this, Harry, and Ron walked forward to Hermione's side, and together they entered the Heads common room together.

"By the way, Hermione, what's with that portrait?" Ron asked her.

"I have no clue." Hermione answered him.

They entered the common room to see Draco Malfoy in a pair of Slytherin boxers, and a black, button up, T-shirt, that wasn't buttoned up, stretched out on the couch. He looked over at them as they entered, and sat up quickly at the sight of Harry, and Ron.

"No Potter, and Weasel in this common room, get out!" Draco spat at Harry, and Ron.

"They're my friends, and I'm Head Girl, so I have every right to bring them in here!" Hermione shouted at Draco.

Draco opened his mouth to talk back, but Hermione wasn't finished, "Besides, you brought Pansy in here earlier today! So, I can,"

Hermione's head, out of nowhere, started to spin, she brought a hand to her head, she felt as if she was going to pass out. She swayed on the spot, she was just about to fall when someone caught her around the middle, all she saw was flaming red hair, and then she was gone.

She woke up to a pair of worried green eyes.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, trying to sit up, but Harry forced her back down.

"Just lie down, and rest, Hermione." Harry told her.

"Well, maybe a small nap, wouldn't hurt…" Hermione's voice trailed off as sleep over took her.

The next time Hermione woke up, there were no eyes, green, or steel blue, to greet her.

"Hello?" She called out; she couldn't even tell where she was.

No answer.

"HELLO!" She called a little louder.

"So, your awake.' A voice called from her left, she looked over, and noticed two things, first, she was in her bedroom, lying in bed, and, secondly, there, in the doorway, was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked, she wasn't a hundred percent sure what she was seeing, at the moment.

"The one and only." Draco said, taking a step into her bedroom.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked, closing her eyes as a fainting spell threatened to take her.

"You okay?"

"Why do you care?"

Draco didn't answer, but he took another small step forward.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, she was starting to feel a little dizzy, but she didn't faint, and she kept her eyes closed.

"Dumbledore called him to his office," Draco answered, taking, yet another, step into Hermione's room.

"What about Ron?" Hermione wondered, not noticing, since her eyes were closed, how far into her room Draco had come.

"McGonagall told him, and the little weaselette, to leave." Draco informed her, now standing right beside her bed.

Hermione opened her eyes, and saw, now, how close Draco was to her, but somehow, she didn't mind his presences beside her. In fact

"Um," Hermione started, but she stopped, and gasped, when she saw him looking at her. It wasn't the fact that he was looking at her that made her gasp, but his eyes themselves. She was lost in them, and they looked so familiar to her. They were a steel blue colour, then, Hermione remembered them.

"Thank you!" Hermione blurted out, before she could stop herself.

Draco looked slightly puzzled, "For what?"

"I remember you're the one who was carrying me?"

Draco looked at his feet, then glanced up at Hermione, "Um, so?"

"So, I wanted to say 'thank you', so thank you!" Hermione told him.

"Well, um," Draco stammered, to Hermione, he looked a touch on the nervous side.

"Is the great Draco Malfoy, nervous?" Hermione teased, though her head still felt horrible.

Draco looked straight at her, he didn't say anything for a moment, but then, "Yes."

Hermione's mind twirled with the thought of what Draco had just said, she had only been teasing him, and so, she hadn't expected him to say 'yes'.

"Why?" Hermione asked, looking at Draco in total bewilderment.

"Because," Draco began, looking back down at his feet, again.

Just then, Harry streaked into the room, looking ecstatic. He didn't even notice Draco standing beside Hermione's bed. He just ran over, elbowed Draco out of the way, and sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed. Draco, surprisingly, didn't even try to knock Harry out for body checking him; he just slipped slightly out of her room, closing the door behind him.

"You won't believe it Hermione!" Harry said, Hermione had to smile at the looked that was plastered across Harry's face; he looked (as the saying goes) like a kid in a candy store. His green eyes were bright, and sparkling, and he had a grin that would of out done Lockhart's (that is if he remembered himself).

"What is it Harry?" Hermione said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as she could.

"Nope," Harry said, waving a finger in front of Hermione's face.

"What?"

"It's not Harry."

Hermione was confused, and her head hurt enough without Harry making it worse, "Harry, what are you talking about?"

"I'm a teacher!" Harry said, his eyes growing wide, and shining even more.

"A what?" Hermione asked she wasn't sure whether she had heard him correctly.

"A teacher," Harry repeated, "The Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore just called me up to his office to ask me if I'd be all right with it, I, of course said 'yes'. It was awesome!"

"Really, Harry?" Hermione asked, now, finally, understanding what was going on, "But, no offence, but, why you, you are just a student after all."

"Yeah, I asked him that, too," Harry admitted, "he said that he wanted me to because of how I was able to handle doing those DA meetings in fifth year!"

"Oh, yeah," Hermione remembered, "You were a pretty good teacher, I must admit! Well, congrats Harry, you know, we should celebrate!"

"Yeah, that's what Ginny was saying," Harry said.

"Really?" Hermione asked, sitting up fully in bed without realizing it.

"Yeah!" Harry said, then the smile, for some reason, faded from his face, "but are you up to it? You should be resting right now."

Hermione smiled at him, "I'm fine, now, don't worry about it! Hey, I'm sitting up! I usually got dizzy when I tried to sit up, but now, I feel fine!"

Harry returned her smile, "I'm glad, but you should still rest."

"Okay," Hermione agreed, lying back down.

Harry turned, but then stopped and turned back around.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked him.

Harry stood there for a moment, then blush, turned, and ran from the room, a hand covering his now beet red face, and, knowing exactly why he was blushing, Hermione smiled, turned over and drifted into a peaceful, Harry-filled, sleep.

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**A/N-Please Read&Review, thanks! Byes!**


	5. Will You Be My Girlfriend

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE TERRIFIC CHARACTERS

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**

Chapter Five: Will You Be My Girlfriend

Hermione woke the next morning, surprisingly, full of energy. She skipped across the common room to the bathroom, not even noticing Draco sitting on the couch by the fireplace, watching her.

_She seems lively today?_ Draco thought, as he watched Hermione skip merrily to the bathroom. _Damn, how the hell am I going to explain why I stopped Pansy form choking her to death. Come on, Draco think!_

Hermione came back down stairs wearing her robe, and smelling of fresh baked bread, and apples, which seemed to blend well with the other. She skipped to their kitchenette, and popped opened a cupboard door, removed a small tin from it, and set it on the counter, she then turned, raised a hand to her mouth and called, "Crookshanks!"

A few seconds later, Crookshanks came bounding the stairs, from Hermione's bedroom. It curled itself around Hermione's legs as she open the tin, poured its contents into a dish, and set it on the ground. Crookshanks dug into it without hesitation.

"You seem happy today," Draco said.

Hermione looked up at Draco in surprise. She had, obviously, not realized that he was there until just that minute, her hands instantly went to the collar of her robe holding both sides of it together, "When did you get in here?"

"I've been here all along," Draco told her, then eyeing how nervous she looked, he suddenly felt as though he needed to apologize for something, but, he was a Malfoy, and Malfoy's never apologized! "I'm sorry," _well, there's a first time for everything._

Hermione looked at him in surprise, "What?"

"I'm sorry." Draco repeated, "and don't you dare make me say it again!"

"For what?" Hermione asked.

Draco turned his thoughts over in his mind, trying to find the answer to her question, "for almost kissing you."

Hermione stared at him, with a look that clearly said that she wasn't buying it.

"Don't look at me like that," Draco pleaded, "I'm telling you the truth."

Hermione just stood there, looking at Draco, then, she turned on her heels and walked out of the common through the portrait hole.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione was sitting with her friends at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Ginny, Ron, and Harry weren't mad at her at all, and she was glad.

"Oh, yeah, by the way, Ginny, you asked me yesterday when I had set the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts for." Harry was asking.

"Oh, yeah. Have you set a date, yet? Ginny asked, going slightly red.

"Yeah, for this Thursday, at 7:00, is that okay?" Harry told her.

"Yeah, okay, thanks!" Ginny said with a smile, going even redder.

Hermione had to laugh; she knew Ginny had a huge crush on Harry, no matter how many times she tried to hide it. Hermione, at least, always found the truth, though she never really had to, Ginny usually told her, which happened to be the case with Harry. Ginny knew that Harry had a crush on Hermione, and had told her numerous times, and Hermione knew that Harry liked Ginny, so she told Ginny. They had both agreed that no matter what happened, no matter who Harry choose, if he ever _did_ choose, that they would remain friends, and be happy for the other.

"Oh, and Hermione, how was your first night with ferret boy?" Harry asked Hermione with a smirk.

"Huh?" Hermione said as she pulled herself away from trying to figure out if Harry would choose her, or Ginny.

"Ferret boy, how was your first night in the same dormitory as him?" Harry restated to her.

"Oh, Malfoy?" Hermione said; she, involuntarily, stole a glance at Draco, who was sitting over at the Slytherin table talking with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise. "He, actually, to tell you the truth, wasn't that bad."

Hermione's friends goggled at her, and Ron looked angry.

"What?" Hermione asked them, and then realizing what she had just said, added, "Well, I mean, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, I mean, there was, um, you know, 'mudblood', and things like that. Nothing, too, bad, though."

There was a murmur of discussion at this, and Hermione took that moment to take another glance at Draco, he was talking with Blaise Zambini, only, and Pansy was, now, hanging all over him. She returned to her food, but was now feeling to sick to eat, _was it just my imagination, or did Malfoy look like he didn't particularly want Pansy near him?_

"Hermione?" Ron asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah?" Hermione answered, looking at Ron.

"Do you like Malfoy?" Ron said in a blunt manner.

Hermione's jaw dropped, along with all her friend's jaws.

"WHAT?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Do you like Malfoy?" Ron repeated.

"Why on _earth_ would I like that ferret?" Hermione asked feeling insulted.

"Well, you keep looking over at him," Ron told her, "and every, now, and then, he steals a glance at you."

"He, _what_?"

"Steals a glance at you," Ron repeated himself, yet again.

Hermione turned her head to see Draco looking at her. Not even when he noticed her watching her did he turn away. He just continued to stare at her, with those gray-blue eyes.

Hermione finally shook her head, and broke the gaze between her and Draco. She turned back to her friends, who were watching her expectantly, she shrugged, "I have no clue what's going through that sick, Slytherin's mind."

"You didn't answer my question," Ron pointed out, "Do you, or do you not, like Malfoy?"

"Are you really that stupid!" Hermione half-shouted, aware that they were in the Great Hall were many pairs of ears were just waiting to hear anything that they could twist into some interesting gossip.

Ron just looked at her, and then repeated himself once more, "Do you like Malfoy?"

"NO, YOU JERK!"

"Whatever," was all Ron said in response turning back to his, now cold, breakfast.

"Hey, Hermione?" Harry asked her after a minute.

"Yeah?" Hermione answered, turning to him.

"I know this isn't the best time, but I was wondering if I could talk to you," Harry asked her, not looking her directly in the eye, then added, "privately?"

Ron suddenly looked up from his bacon, eggs, and sausage, though he didn't turn even the slightest bit towards them, she knew he was listening intently, now. Ginny, too, Hermione noticed, looked up from her breakfast, and looked at Hermione with a mixture of hurt, and happiness, looked like there deal was still standing.

"Sure, Harry." Hermione answered, after a short pause.

Hermione saw Ron slump back over his food, and, it might have been Hermione's imagination, but he seemed more slumped then before. _Sorry, Ron, Harry got here first, so _live _with it!_ Hermione thought to herself, allowing a small smile to pass over her lips.

Harry stood, and started to walk towards the deserted Entrance Hall, Hermione followed. Once in the Entrance Hall, Harry stopped, and turned to face Hermione, who also stopped.

For a moment Harry was completely silent, then, looking very red in the face, and then said, in a complete mumble, "Hermoinewillyoubemygirlfriend?"

Hermione looked at him, she was sure she knew what he had said, and she blushed, but, just wanting to be sure, said, as politely as she could, "Sorry?"

Harry took a deep breath then repeated his phrase, more slowly, "Hermione, will you be…my girlfriend?"

She had been right, and she blushed even more, than finally, after she took a deep breath herself, answered, "Yes."

The moment the word left her lips, she was in the air; Harry had picked her up around the middle and spun on the spot, a smile as bright as the sun plastered across his face. Hermione couldn't help, but laugh and smile along with him; she'd never seen him so excited before, not even when he had come and told her that he was the new DADA teacher.

After spinning on the spot, once, with her in his arms Harry placed Hermione back down and pulled her into a warm hug. Hermione fell in love with him the instant that his arms were around her, they felt so safe, comfortable, and good. She looked up at him, and he caught her eye, he brought his head down and placed the sweetest of all kisses on her lips.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. They broke apart, than, not at all wanting to return to the Great Hall they headed to there first class, Transfiguration, and sat outside the door, and talked, and fell even further in love.

Hermione, even though she loved Harry very much, and was very much in love with him, she couldn't help but notice that something seemed to be missing. She shook the feeling off quickly, she loved Harry, and she knew he would never harm her, so she knew she was safe with him. This thought brought a content smile to Hermione's lips; she looked over at Harry and saw that he still seemed to be blushing immensely. She smiled again, thinking, _he's so shy! Did he think I might have said 'no', especially, after that kiss yesterday? Ginny said that she told him that I liked him very much, but he's still shy about it?_

"Here early, I see."

Hermione and Harry looked up, it's seemed that not only Hermione had been deep in thought; they hadn't even noticed Professor McGonagall walk up.

"Oh, hello Professor." Hermione greeted, kindly.

"Hello, Miss Granger," McGonagall replied, then, nodding to Harry, "Mister Potter."

"Hello Professor." Harry said, repeating Hermione's words.

She nodded again, then let herself into her classroom, then called back to them, "You may come in if you like."

Harry, and Hermione stood then made there way into the classroom.

"I was, actually, wanting a word with the two of you," Professor McGonagall informed them, after they had found their seats. She then added, once they had acknowledged this, "Potter, I was hoping that you could inform me about your plans for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Miss Weasley says that you have already placed the date for tryouts for this Thursday at 7:00, is that correct?"

"Oh, yes Professor." Harry answered her.

"Alright, Potter." McGonagall agreed, nodding to him once more, than turning to Hermione said, "Miss Granger, I would like to have a word with you, and Mister Malfoy, concerning some Heads business, I've sent a message to him, and he should be here shortly," than turning back to Harry, "Potter, I would like you to wait outside, this is Heads business, after all, so its only for the Heads to hear, and I'm trusting you," turning to Hermione, "Miss Granger, and Mister Malfoy as well, will keep it that way."

"Yes, Professor." Hermione told her.

"You wanted to see me Professor?"

Hermione, and Harry, who had been standing with their backs to the door, turned around to see Draco Malfoy standing there.

"Ahh, yes, Mister Malfoy," McGonagall said, gesturing him forward, he walked up in between Hermione, and Harry, who automatically stepped back, as not to be to close to him.

"Potter." McGonagall said, in a reminding tone.

"Oh, yes, Professor." Harry said, then quickly, after muttering a "Good luck," to Hermione, he exited the classroom, leaving Hermione, Draco, and Professor McGonagall in the quiet stillness of the classroom.

"Now," McGonagall said, turning her attention to Malfoy, and Hermione, who stepped forward a bit so that she was now directly beside Draco. "I would like to inform you that you to will be planning four school dances this year, together."

"Together!" Draco complained, in a nothing but rude tone of voice.

"Mister Malfoy!" McGonagall said harshly, "I would appreciate if you would watch your tongue!"

"Yes, Professor." Malfoy said, looking down in, what looked like, defeat.

"Where was I?" McGonagall started again, "Ahh, yes, there will be four dances to be planned, and organized be you both. Professor Flitwick, and a few of the other teachers, and the prefects, of course, have agreed to help put up some of the decorations, but what those decorations will be, is completely up to you two, almost."

"Almost, Professor?" Hermione spoke up.

"Yes, after you have come up with a theme you will present it to Professor Dumbledore. He will then tell you if you can proceed with you planning of the dance, or if you will have to choose a different theme for the dance if the one you have chosen is, well, simply put, inappropriate. You will do the same for the plans, and decorations, present them, and then either proceed, or change them, accordingly."

"When is the first dance set for, Professor?" Malfoy asked.

"Halloween night, speaking of which, you will also be allowed to set the approximate time, all the dances will be held at night, but as for _when_ at night, and for how long, is up to you." McGonagall answered.

"When are the other dances set for?" Hermione asked, getting kind of excited at the idea of being able to plan a dance.

"There's a Christmas dance, set for December twenty-second. There will be a spring dance, though we haven't yet decided on a precise date, yet. Although, Professor Dumbledore, thought that this could be the one dance you two could decide the date upon. In any case, there will, also, be an end of the year dance, which, by the way, will be the one dance that we give one rule out about the theme, it will be a formal, also, it is for seventh years only, since this is their last year at Hogwarts. The other dances can be up to you whether they are to be formal, or not. Do you have all that?"

"Yes, Professor." Hermione, and Malfoy, answered in unison.

"Oh, and, also, Mister Malfoy," McGonagall called out as Malfoy, and Hermione, had turned to go to there seats (class was in five minutes), Malfoy turned, and Hermione continued to her seat, as McGonagall spoke to Malfoy, "as I was telling Miss Granger, you are not to tell anyone of the dances until you have discussed there themes, and plans, to Professor Dumbledore, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor." Malfoy answered, then turned and took his seat towards the back of the classroom.

"Miss Granger, you may call Mister Potter back in if you wish." McGonagall said to Hermione.

Hermione got up, and went outside to find Harry leaning against the wall just outside the classroom, his head turned away from her, listening to Ron, who stopped talking the moment he saw Hermione. He tapped Harry on the arm, looking slightly disappointed and pointed towards Hermione. Harry turned, he gave a smile to Hermione, who only half returned it, she was, too, angry that Ron had, obviously, not forgiven her, yet.

"Professor McGonagall says you can come in, now." Hermione told Harry, making sure she didn't break the deadly glare she was giving Ron.

"Oh, okay." Harry said, looking, uneasily, between his two best friends, "let's go, shall we?"

Harry shrugged, Ron did nothing, and Hermione went back inside the classroom without another word; Harry followed, with a reluctant Ron at his heels.

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**A/N- I apologize for it being Harry saying that little sentence, and not Draco, but, don't worry, this is a Draco&Hermione story, never fear! I, also, apologize for this chapter not being very long, please, forgive me.**


	6. Ron's Words and the Tickle War

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE TERRIFIC CHARACTERS

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Chapter Six: Ron's Words and the Tickle War**

They took their seats near the front of class. They took out their Transfiguration books from their bags and set them on the desk.

Professor McGonagall stood up at the front of the classroom as the rest of the class made there way into the room. When everyone was seated Professor McGonagall started to tell them what they would be learning this year.

"We will, of course, be focusing, still, on _non-verbal_ spell work. This year, however, it will be _new_ spells. Last year, you will remember, we focused on doing spells non-verbally that we already knew, now we will try doing new spells, still non-verbally, of course."

Hermione heard, both, Harry, and Ron, groaned at this news. She knew why, Harry, and Ron, still hadn't even perfected the spells they had been learning how to cast, non-verbally, last year, and now they had to learn new ones! Hermione sighed; it looked like another year of doing someone else's homework.

_No! It won't be!_ Hermione told herself, silently; _I have Heads business to attend to! Harry will have to try and work out the spells on his own, and Ron, well, Ron will have to apologize to me before I'll even _think_ of helping _him

"Hey, Hermione" came a whisper from her right, she turned, and saw Harry looking at her out of the corner of his eye, which were acting like they were glued to Professor McGonagall, as she went on explain the years spells, and work. Harry, then, added, "Will you be able to help me with the _'veraverto'_ spell," (A/N-veraverto is the spell that changes a animal into a water goblet) "my goblet still has fur when I try doing the spell non-verbally."

"I'm really sorry Harry." Hermione said under her breath, her eyes looking back at Professor McGonagall, who seemingly, hadn't noticed the conversation, taking place between Hermione and Harry, right in front of her. She then added, in an undertone, "I'm Head Girl, now, I have work to do, as well as my own homework."

"Hermione! What kind of excuse is that?"

Hermione's head whipped up to look around Harry, that hadn't been Harry's voice that had said that, it had been Ron's, who was sitting on the other side of Harry. Hermione leaned forward across Harry, forgetting completely that they were in the middle of a class right now, and said in a quite, yet dangerous tone of voice, "I'm sorry, _Ronald_, but, even if I wasn't a Head, it's not likely that I would help _you_, now, is it? So, you're just going to have to try doing your own homework for a change!"

Before she could even blink, Ron was on his feet, and yelling, "WELL, PARDON ME FOR NOT BEING A KNOW-IT-ALL, BOOKWORM, LIKE YOU, HERMIONE!"

"Mr. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall barked, her voice like ice, and her eyes locked on Ron with a mixture of shock, and immense rage.

Everyone in class was, now, looking between Hermione, and Ron. The Gryffindors with looks of sympathy for Hermione, who looked as though she had just been slapped, and looks of disgust for Ron, who had gone a sickening shade of gray. The Slytherin's, on the other hand, were looking at Ron with up most satisfaction spread across there faces, except, surprisingly, Malfoy.

Malfoy had an odd expression resting upon his face, it was somewhere between sympathy, and guilt, as though he felt like this whole thing was his fault.

Hermione, who had been looking at Ron for the past few moments, as this was one huge not-so-funny joke, turned away from him and looked off to her left at the floor, her hair falling just-so that it hide her, now beat red, close to tears, face, from view.

"Professor?" Hermione spoke quietly, and slowly, not looking up, "may I be excused?"

Professor McGonagall looked Hermione over carefully for a moment, she had never let a student leave her class before, and she wasn't sure whether Hermione was in the right state of mine to be walking about the school. Then again, it was Hermione, she would easily be able to make up the work that she would miss, and she was headstrong. So, Professor McGonagall, slowly, nodded her head in approval, and said, "Yes, all right, Miss Granger, go ahead. I'll send someone with your homework."

Without even looking up, or taking her books, Hermione nodded that she understood, stood up, made her way between the rows of desks, not even noticing that she walked right by Draco's desk, who was watching her, solemnly, as she made her way out of the classroom.

When the door closed with a small 'bang' behind Hermione, there was a moments pause, then the class heard a small whimper, then a complete break down, they could hear Hermione sob as her footsteps were heard moving quickly down the hallway beyond the classroom, in which everyone sat, sympathetic, and dumbfounded, and, in the case of the Slytherins, minus Draco, rather gleeful.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor." Professor McGonagall announced, after a moment, everyone nodded in agreement, even the Gryffindors themselves who were still looking at Ron darkly, as Professor McGonagall, who didn't even try to tell them to stop, continued, "You will severe a detention, with me, tomorrow evening, and write a letter of apology to Miss Granger, is that clear?"

"Yes Professor." Ron said in a small voice.

"All right then, let's continue with our work." Professor McGonagall stated, turning to look at the class.

An hour, or so, later class ended, and Harry, who had stopped talking to Ron since his outburst at Hermione, stooped down to pick up Hermione's things, as well as his own, while Professor McGonagall called Malfoy to the front.

"Leave them there, Mister Potter." Professor McGonagall called to Harry, who stood up, and looked at Professor McGonagall, who was standing behind her desk at the front of the classroom, with Malfoy standing in front of it.

"Leave what, Professor?" Harry asked, a little confused.

"Miss Granger's things."

"But-" Harry started, but Professor McGonagall cut him off.

"I'll have Mister Malfoy take them to the Heads common room." Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

"What? No, it's alright Professor, I can take Hermione her things." Harry insisted.

"Oh? I didn't know Miss Granger had given you the password to the Heads common room." Professor McGonagall said peering at Harry, knowingly.

"Oh, well, she hasn't," Harry admitted, then quickly added, at the look on McGonagall's face, "but I sure you know the password, you could tell me."

"I could, but that would be highly inappropriate, it is not my place to invite people to the Heads common room, it is either, Mister Malfoy's, or Miss Granger's place to do so, and unless Mister Malfoy, here," McGonagall explained, nodding at Malfoy, "gives you permission to enter, or Miss Granger, which I'm pretty sure she is unable to do at the moment, I'm afraid you'll have to let Mister Malfoy take Miss Granger's things up to the Heads common room for her."

Harry made to protest, but Professor McGonagall silenced him with an impatient wave of her hand, she, then, turned to Malfoy, "Mister Malfoy, would you please take Miss Granger's things up to your room, as well as her homework?"

"Yes, Professor." Draco agreed, _Maybe I should tell Potter the password,_ Draco questioned himself inwardly, as he walked over to Harry, who, resentfully, handed him Hermione's book bag.

"Mister Malfoy, you know the homework for tonight, you will tell her, correct?"

"Yes, Professor." Malfoy answered, as he thought to himself, _No, wait, I want to know if she's all right, for some reason._

"All right, then, off you go," Professor McGonagall said, then added, "both of you."

Harry, and Malfoy, walked, quietly, from the classroom, when they turned the corner, Malfoy spoke before he knew what he saying, "What in bloody hell is wrong with her?"

Harry snorted, "Like I'd tell you."

"Well, you'd better tell me, Potter, or you'll find that your little girlfriend has woken up with a 'bat bogey' hex on her." Malfoy threatened, _I'm so full of shit, that is such an empty threat, I'd never do that to her!_ Draco thought, then, re-thinking the events that had just happened in class, added to his thought, _Of course, that doesn't mean the weasel shouldn't watch out_.

"How do you know that?" Harry asked, stopping.

Malfoy stopped and looked around, "What? Have you been practicing your 'bat bogey' hexes on Granger while she sleeps, Potter?"

"No! I didn't mean that!" Harry shouted, and then lowering his voice a little, asked, "I meant, how did you know that Hermione was my girlfriend?"

_Hermione was my girlfriend,_ the words washed though Draco's mind like a flash flood. His surprise must of shown on his face, because Potter then said, in a amused tone of voice, "What's wrong, Malfoy? Does 'scarface' have something you want?"

_Damn it! Stop that Draco! In your common room you may be friends, but out here you've got to hate her!_ Malfoy ordered himself, strictly.

"It's kind of hard to miss you two, when you where shagging for the whole world to see, yesterday, in the Entrance Hall!" Malfoy sneered, trying his best to ignore the feeling in his chest that felt a lot like jealousy.

"Shagging!" Harry exclaimed, looking appalled.

"That's what I'd call it, Scarface!" Malfoy scoffed, trying to sound as though is was the most disgusting thing in the world, which was proving to be a fairly difficult task to accomplish.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but, seemed to think better of it, shook his head, and closed his mouth and continued to walk down to the dungeon's form potions class, Malfoy followed for a short time until they came to a corridor that lead to the Heads common room, he turned down it and made his way to the picture of Hermione, and himself under the tree out in the grounds.

"United!" Malfoy practically yelled at the portrait, the portrait version of Hermione, Malfoy noticed, was the only one there, the portrait of him was nowhere to be seen, as he readjusted Hermione's book bag on his shoulder, he put a hand on the door the portrait had opened for him and asked the Hermione portrait, "Where's…"

"Off to give Weasley a piece of his mind." The Hermione in the portrait replied, with an air of satisfaction in her voice.

Draco grinned, and the Hermione in the portrait beamed back. Then, without wasting another second Draco ran into the Heads common room. He looked around and found that no one was there. He put Hermione's book bag in one of the armchairs, then made his way upstairs to Hermione's room. He knocked lightly on the door, and waited for a response.

No reply.

Draco knew Hermione was in there, he could hear her sobs though the door. So, he knocked again, while calling out, clearly, but softly, "Hermione, are you okay?"

This time there was an inaudible mumble, that sounded, to Draco, like, "Go away!"

Draco tried again, tapping the door smartly, but speaking soothingly, not even aware of the fact that he was using Hermione's real name, "Hermione, may I come in?"

There was a small pause, then, "Hmm-mm."

Draco slowly turned the handle, then pushed the door open, there, beyond it he saw Hermione lying across the width of her bed, her arms up around her face. Draco entered her room quietly and walked slowly around Hermione's bed, and stopped in front of her. He placed his hands on her upper arms then knelt down, and looked at her. He couldn't see her face she had her face buried in the sheets, and covers, of her bed.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked quietly.

"Why…why would…" Hermione said through her sobs, not looking up, "why would you care?"

Draco, honestly, didn't know how to answer her, he had, after all been asking himself that same question for a while, now. He was, also, somewhat surprised at how much her words hurt him.

"Honestly," Draco sighed, deciding that the truth was the best thing to say, "I don't know why I care, I just…do."

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes were red, and puffy, from crying. She was biting her bottom lip, obviously, trying to make herself stop crying.

"You, do?" Hermione asked him, in a relatively calm voice.

"Yes," Draco said, he was surprise that he was able to look at Hermione without looking away in embarrassment when he said this.

"I'm glad at least _one_ person cares," Hermione said, burying her face in the sheets once more, "even if it is you."

Draco just watched as he heard Hermione break into tears, again. He didn't have a clue as to what he could do for her. But he body seemed to answer the question for him. He slipped his hands around her back, and lean his head down, resting his forehead on Hermione's left forearm.

How long they stayed there, neither of them knew, but after awhile Hermione's tears subsided, but Draco didn't let her go, he was, almost afraid, that if he let her go she would disappear.

"Hermione," Draco whispered, "may I call you, Hermione."

"If I can call you Draco, Draco." Hermione answered.

"Yes, please," Draco said, "call me Draco."

"Then, I would be happy to hear you call me Hermione."

"It'll make you happy if I call you Hermione?" Draco asked, his hands still around her.

"Yes."

"Then, I will make you happy, Hermione," Draco said, and then he added, "Hermione."

Hermione let out the smallest giggle.

"Hermione."

The giggle grew louder.

"Hermione."

The giggle grew louder still.

"Hermione," Draco said, but, this time, he gave her a small tickle.

Hermione laughed.

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione!" Draco teased, and he tickled her more.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped, out of breath from laughing so hard, "Stop!"

"Well," Draco said his voice trailing off, he stopped tickling Hermione for a moment, then with a humour filled, "no," went right back to tickling her.

"DRACO!" Hermione yelled through her laughs, she squirmed, and squirmed, but Draco was able to kept hold of her.

Finally, Hermione wiggled free, and pushed Draco back, "That tickles you, you, you big meanie!"

"What are you five years old?" Draco laughed, taking note of Hermione's choice of words.

Hermione reared, then pounced, like a cat, at Draco, flattening him against the ground, she then tickled him, making him laugh, even harder than he had been laughing before.

After a few minutes, Hermione rolled off Draco, laughing.

"I never knew you could be so _evil_!" Draco started, holding his gut, and laughing out loud.

"Well," Hermione said, climbing up onto the top of her bed, giggling, "now, you know."

"Guess I do," Draco admitted, still laughing slightly, "I remember never to tick you off."

Hermione, and Draco, both stopped laughing at Draco words.

"That's right," Draco broke the odd silence that had come up around them, "It's kind of my 'job' to tick you off."

"I had completely forgotten," Hermione realized.

"Yeah," Draco said, sounding depressed, "me, too."

"What," Hermione wondered, "should we do?"

Draco looked up at her, without even thinking, he asked her, "Do you like this?"

Hermione fixed Draco with a look he had never seen before; it looked like a mixture of sadness, anger, and happiness, all in one, "Yes."

"You, do?" Draco asked her in disbelief.

"Yes," Hermione repeated, "I don't know when it happened, but I really enjoy having your company."

"You, do?" Draco asked her, again.

"Yes, I feel a strange sense of peace around you," Hermione told him, "and, I would like to keep feeling that, this, way."

Draco stood up, looking at Hermione, he inched towards her, "Does that mean, you don't care what the school might think of you, and of us?"

"When have I ever cared what the school thinks of me?" Hermione questioned.

"Good point."

"Miss Granger!"

Draco, and Hermione, both looked towards the bedroom door, wondering who was calling. Draco looked at Hermione, who looked, vaguely, confused.

"Miss Granger, are you in," the voice called again.

"Isn't that," Draco whispered, "Professor McGonagall's voice?"

"I think so." Hermione agreed.

"Um," Draco stuttered, starting to get nervous, "It won't be good if she sees us in one room, together."

"Go," Hermione told him, "Through the passage."

"Oh," Draco said, remembering the passageway, he ran through the door that led to the secret passageway that, in turn, led to his own bedroom.

"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall called once more.

"Coming!" Hermione called, jumping from her bed, and running downstairs to see Professor McGonagall standing in the Heads common room, along with Professor Dumbledore, and…Professor _Snape_?

"Um, Hello Professors," Hermione greeted, confused by the sight of the three Professors in front of her.

"Hello, Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore returned her greeting.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Snape added, as way of a greeting.

Hermione ignored Professor Snape's comment, and looked around at the other two Professors in curiosity.

"You know," Professor McGonagall spoke up, "perhaps we should have Mister Malfoy here as well."

"Yes," Professor Dumbledore agreed, nodding his head.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall asked, "do you know if Mister Malfoy is in?"

"Um," Hermione said, making it sound as though she wasn't quite sure, "I think he might be in his room."

"Would you be able to go get him," Professor McGonagall requested.

"Um, okay." Hermione obliged, walking up the stairs to Draco's bedroom door.

Hermione tapped lightly on the door, and called through the door, "Malfoy, Professor McGonagall would like a word with you."

No answer.

"Malfoy!" Hermione called, a little louder, knocking more forcefully on Draco's bedroom door.

Still, there was no answer.

"Is there a problem, Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned to see that Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore, had come up the stairs to the second floor.

"He's not answering," Hermione told Professor McGonagall.

"Here," Snape snapped, moving forward, "out of the way!"

Hermione stepped back so that he could stand directly in front of Draco's door, "Mister Malfoy open this door, now!" Snape ordered, obviously losing his patience.

The door didn't open, nor was there an answer that came from behind it.

Snape looked angry, he reached out a hand and gripped the door handle, turned it, and opened the door wide. He walked in, McGonagall, and Dumbledore followed, Hermione at there heels.

Hermione noticed that Draco was lying on his bed, sleeping. Snape huffed at the sight, and Professor Dumbledore just said, "Maybe we should come back when he is awake to hear what we have to say."

"Yes, I suppose," McGonagall, agreed; Snape said nothing, only glared darkly at Hermione, as though this were all her fault.

Hermione, though, was looking at Draco his hand had just twitched.

"Miss Granger, you will tell Mister Malfoy that you two are to come to my office once he wakes up." Dumbledore told Hermione, her head snapped back to Dumbledore, away from Draco's 'sleeping' form.

"Um, Yes, Professor." Hermione said.

"All right, then," Dumbledore said, turning and walking from the room, McGonagall followed. Snape, on the other hand, continued to stare at Hermione. Hermione knew what he was thinking within about half a second, so she stalked out of the room and went to her own room.

It was only now didn't she realize that Draco's room had looked odd, the door, the one that connected their rooms hadn't been there. She glanced over at the door to Draco's room, only to find it not there! Hermione whipped fully around to stare at the blank wall, thinking, _where's the door?_

_

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_**A/N-There's another chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Byes! Please Read&Review!**


	7. Smiles, Secrets, and Dreams

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE TERRIFIC CHARACTERS

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**

Chapter Seven: Smiles, Secrets, and Dreams

There was a knock on Hermione's bedroom door, and she, after shaking her head free of the disappointment she felt at the sight of the door not being there, went to answer it.

"Draco?" Hermione gasped, at the sight of the man who stood before her, "I thought you were asleep?"

"Nope, I just didn't want to talk to anyone right, now." Draco told her, walking, uninvited, into Hermione's room.

"Really?" Hermione asked, eyeing Draco as he sat down on her bed.

"Yup," Draco answered, "Sounds like your feeling better."

"Yeah," Hermione replied, her spirits dropping to the ground in an instant, _I had completely forgotten about Ron._

"Sorry," Draco said quickly, "I didn't mean to bring you down."

"No," Hermione assured him, "It's okay, I'm fine, I think."

"No, you're not," Draco told her, standing up, and walking over to her.

"Um, Draco?" Hermione started uncertainly.

"Yeah?" Draco answered her.

"Um, why did you stop Pansy from strangling me?"

Draco's eyes widened in surprise, "You remember?"

"Never really forgot, actually." Hermione told him.

"Then, why didn't you tell Pomfrey, or Potter?" Draco wondered.

"Because, I wasn't one hundred percent sure that it was Pansy, or that it was you that saved me from her," Hermione explained.

"Well, why don't you go tell them, now?" Draco asked.

"There's no point, there's no proof, except for my word." Hermione explained.

"Still," Draco urged, but Hermione cut him short.

"All I want to know is why you stopped her," Hermione said, "I would of thought that me being strangled was a dream come true, for you."

"It's not," Draco admitted, "It's far from the truth, that's what my father wants me to think, and I've tried to think that way, so he wouldn't…"

Draco's voice trailed off, and he looked away. Hermione, without a second thought, went up to him, and wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his chest.

"Thank you," Draco said after a minute.

"Your welcome," Hermione smiled at him.

Draco froze, Hermione looked at him, "What's wrong?"

"You smiled," Draco confirmed, amazed.

"Yeah, so?" Hermione said, thinking he'd gone nuts.

"You've never smiled at me before," Draco recalled.

Hermione stared at Draco for a few seconds, and then, smiling a million dollar smile turned and strolled from the room.

Draco watched her go, he's heart going a mile a minute, he felt so at ease when he saw her smile, and that smile she gave him before she left, he felt as though that one had been just for him, and him alone. Draco grinned.

The next day, Draco woke up feeling light as a feather. He couldn't remember the last time he had had such a peace night's sleep. He got out of bed, and went to the bathroom, noticing that the door to Hermione's room still hadn't reappeared. After he came back, he went out to the common room, and headed to the opposite staircase, to have a quick shower before classes that morning.

After soaking for over half an hour in the bath, with chocolate-scented water, and peppermint-scented bubbles. He got out, dried off, tied his robe around his body, and made his way out of the bathroom. When he got onto the second floor landing in front of the bathroom door, he peered down into the common room below, hoping to find Hermione there, perhaps calling Crookshanks from the kitchenette. What he saw instead was Hermione, sitting on one of the armchairs, across from…Potter? Draco thought about what to do _I could go back into the bathroom, wait till he leaves?_ _No, this is my common room, too! I'll just tell him to leave!_ But before Draco do anything, the conversation Hermione, and Potter, were having reached his ears.

"Harry," Hermione was saying.

"Yeah? What's up, Hermione?" Harry said, "What was so important that it couldn't wait till breakfast?"

"Well," Hermione began, and Draco suddenly realized that she was nervous, _since when does Hermione get nervous around Potter?_

"What is it, Hermione," Harry said again, "Don't worry, you can tell me, I'm your boyfriend, you can trust me."

"Well," Hermione said, "that's just it, Harry. I know I had said yes to you yesterday, but certain…events, have made me really look at my relationships, _all_ of my relationships."

"I kind of figured," Harry admitted.

Hermione looked up at him, surprised at the calm way he had just took her statement, "You did?"

"Yeah," Harry said, "and I can't blame you either, I mean, Ron was supposedly our best friend, then he says that to you? Now, that, to me, isn't what a friend is suppose to do."

Hermione was silent for a moment, or two, then, Draco could just barely see it, smiled at Potter.

"Don't worry about me, Hermione," Harry assured her, raising from the armchair, "I'm happy as long as you are."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said, "that means a lot, really, it does."

"No problem." Harry said, waving away Hermione compliment, Harry made his way to the portrait door, and then stopped and looked around, Draco ducked down so that he wouldn't see him, but kept listening, unable to stop himself, "did that jerk get your stuff to you, all right?"

"What jerk?" Hermione wondered, Draco aloud himself a small smirk, even he knew that Potter was talking about him.

"_Malfoy!_" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh," Hermione said, "Harry, please, don't call him a jerk."

"_WHAT?_" Harry barked in disbelief, "He's _Malfoy_, we've always called him a jerk, Hermione."

"Yeah, and it's not right!" Hermione said.

"But," Harry said, but he couldn't think of much of a come back.

"Harry, please?" Hermione begged.

"Hermione," Harry moaned.

"Please," Hermione repeated.

"Okay, I won't call Malfoy a jerk," Harry agreed, then his head snapped back around to look at Hermione, "Wait, does this have anything to do with what you saw during that Mind Attachment Potion thing?"

Draco froze his heart almost stopped beating. _She wouldn't, she wouldn't tell him, she couldn't tell him! Please, please, don't tell him!_ Draco begged silently.

"No," Hermione said, and Draco noticed that her voice seemed uneasy.

Harry didn't say anything for a while, and Draco's heartbeat slowly returned, it sounded like Potter was giving up on the subject, but after a couple minutes, said, "What _did_ you see in Malfoy's memory, anyway?"

Draco's body tensed once more, his heartbeat withered away, and his mind went back to begging, silently, that Hermione wouldn't tell.

"Um, actually," Hermione said, Draco tensed to the extreme, _please don't tell please don't tell_, as Hermione answered, "I don't remember, I think it had something to do with Quiddtich, not being able to play, or something like that."

"Quiddtich?" Harry repeated, completely unconvinced.

"Yeah," Hermione confirmed.

"Why the hell would that make Malfoy act that way in class the way that he did?" Harry questioned, still not sounding convinced.

"Well, he kept talking about you, the potion wasn't that well done, so I couldn't hear much. It was about how you were able to play on your house team, in first year, and he wasn't."

"Yeah, I guess that would have pissed him off!" Harry gloated, Draco's body started to relax, slightly.

"Don't gloat like that!" Hermione said.

"Aw, come on, Hermione," Harry pleaded, 'just a little gloating won't hurt."

"Harry," Hermione urged.

"Okay, I won't gloat."

"Thank you."

"Why do you keep sticking up for Malfoy?"

"I'm not, I would have said the same thing if it were any other kid."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I believe you, then."

"You do?

"Yes, you're my best friend."

"At least you are."

"Don't worry about Ron, as much as I wish he were still my friend, what he said to you was uncalled for. So, don't go forgiving him, just so that we all can be friends again."

"Yeah, okay."

"Okay, then, I have to get to breakfast."

"When is your first DADA class?"

"Monday, during my extra periods."

"How many extra's do you have?"

"None, now that I have to teach."

Hermione laughed, "Meaning, how many classes do you have?"

"I think three, on Monday at least."

"Wow, that's awesome!"

"Hey, when do you have DADA class?"

"Um, let's see," Hermione dug into her book bag, which had been lying on the floor beside her chair, and pulled out her timetable and consulted it, "Monday, right after lunch, with…Slytherin!"

"Slytherin!"

"Yeah."

"Oh, well," Harry shrugged, "Had to have them at some point, well, I'll see you Hermione."

"Yeah, see you, Harry."

Draco heard the portrait door close, and Hermione's feet walk along the ground to the kitchenette, he couldn't see her, he was still crouching down, behind the banister, not believing what he had just heard, _Hermione broke up with Potter, and she told him not to call me a jerk, or to gloat about him being on the Gryffindor Quiddtich team in his first year. She didn't even tell what she really saw in my memory!_

A few minutes later, Hermione called out "Crookshanks," and Draco watched as the ginger cat bounded lightly from Hermione's bedroom door, and went to Hermione to get his food.

After a few more minutes, Draco stood up and went downstairs. There, as he expected, in the kitchen, was Hermione kneeled down in front of Crookshanks, fully dressed in a pair of light blue jeans, a plain white two-inches-to-short tee shirt, and a light blue denim jacket, but Draco couldn't take his eyes away from her face, which he could just see.

"Hey, are you okay?" Draco asked, in a small comforting voice.

Hermione looked up at Draco, and then quickly looked away, wiping her teary eyes with her hand, "I'm fine, why?"

"That's a lie, and you know it," Draco said, edging closer to Hermione, "come on, you can tell me, what's wrong?"

Hermione stayed silent.

Draco was now right beside her, he knelt down, and put a hand on each of her shoulders, she looked at him when he did. Draco could see there were still tears in her eyes, let alone, on her cheeks. He raised one hand of Hermione's shoulder, and skimmed it across Hermione's cheek, causing her to break down completely. She covered her face with her hands, and sunk fully onto the floor, sobbing.

"Hey," Draco said, "it's okay, shhh, it's all right, I'm right here."

Hermione suddenly looked up at Draco, for a moment she looked confused, but then, her face broke out into, although a weak one, a smile.

"What?" Draco asked, wondering if he had done something to make her smile.

"You've said that before," Hermione reminded him.

Draco scanned his memory for the last time he had said those words, Draco looked at Hermione, he remembered, now, it was when they were in Hermione's memory of that disgusting jerk, Victor Krum.

"I remember," Draco said, leaning towards Hermione slightly, "and, everything I said was true, you know."

Hermione seemed confused slightly, but she suddenly smile brightly, and threw her arms around Draco's waist, and whispered, "Thank you."

"No, Thank _you_," Draco said, returning Hermione's hug. She's so warm, so pure, innocent, I shouldn't even be aloud near her, let alone touch her; with that thought Draco let go of Hermione.

"Why," Hermione asked, "why would you have to thank me?"

"You didn't tell Potter," Draco explained, knowing Hermione would probably get mad, knowing that he had been eavesdropping on her, and Potter's, conversation.

"You heard, huh?"

Draco stared at Hermione in disbelief, and then, to make sure he hadn't imagined it, asked, "Your not mad?"

"Why should I be?" Hermione wondered.

"Why I eavesdropped," Draco told her.

"Well," Hermione mulled, she looked over at Draco.

Draco's eyes widen when he saw the look on Hermione's face. _She looks so lonely, but why? Did Potter mean that much to her?_ Draco tried to find an answer to the questions in his head, but none came.

"I'm taking a nap." Hermione announced, walking over to the sofa, "we'll have to go to Professor Dumbledore later, though."

"What?" Draco asked, surprise at the sudden change of subject.

"A nap," Hermione repeated, now lying down on the couch, squired a bit in efforts to make her more comfortable, then closed her eyes.

"Okay," Draco said, more to himself then to Hermione.

Draco went up to his bedroom, paced he's room for a while, then, not even bothering to change out of he's bath robe, went downstairs to grab something from the kitchenette, when he saw Hermione, asleep on the couch. He just smiled at her, and then turned towards the kitchenette.

"Draco?" A hushed voice called out.

Draco turned to see who had called his name, he looked at Hermione; was she the one who had said his name. Draco took a few steps closer to her, listening intently, then he heard it again.

"Draco?" It was Hermione! He watched as she moved her lips, to form his name.

_Is she_ dreaming _about_ me Draco thought to himself, his heart hammered, and another, this time, unquestioned, smile appeared on his lips.

"You are dreaming about me, aren't you?" Draco whispered to her, he knelt down beside her and looked, intently, into her face. _I wonder what she's dreaming about me for._ Draco wondered.

"Oh, please, Draco," Hermione whispered in an urgent tone, she sounded as though she was pleading for her life.

_Is she dreaming about me killing her?_ Draco's smile faded immediately for his face. _Do I scare her _that_ much?_

"Please, not Draco, please don't take Draco." Hermione murmured.

_Don't take Draco? Is she pleading for _my_ life?_

Draco, who had been lost in his thoughts, was pulled from them when he heard what Hermione said next, "Because, I love him." Hermione's words seemed echo throughout the room.

_I love him…I love him…_The words echoed though Draco's mind, as well, _did she just say that she…_loves_ me?_ His thoughts were broken again by Hermione's pleading voice.

"Please, don't, please don't kill him, take me, just don't kill…" There was a small pause then, "**_DRACO!_**"

Before Draco could do a thing, Hermione sat bolt upright on the couch. She looked around, and that's when she saw Draco.

Draco, who knew what was coming, closed his eyes really for her to yell at him for watching her sleep like he had been, but it never came. Instead, he felt something warm wrap around his waist, then something else lay against his covered-only-by-a-robe chest. Draco opened his eyes; Hermione was no longer lying on the couch she was, now, on the floor in front of him, and her arms around his waist, and her head against his chest.

At first, Draco was going to pull away, but something made him stop. Maybe it was the fact that she had sounded like she had been pleading for his life, not hers, in her dream, she had even offered to take his place, no one had ever done that before, not his mother, and, defiantly, not his father.

He had even been close to death a few years ago, right before his father's eyes, at the hands of Voldemort, who, surprisingly, and obviously, had let him live, but it hadn't been because his father had stepped in, it was because Draco had offered to do Voldemort's bidding, however dangerous it was. His father had actually gotten mad at him for saying that to Voldemort, and hit him with another "Crucio," and that was his punishment for trying to keep his own life.

Whatever the reason, Draco didn't, and, frankly, didn't want to, pull away from the girl wrapped around him. Hermione was now crying into his chest, she was shakily uncontrollably, as well. Draco placed his arms lightly around her, he could feel every tremble, and hear every sob, that issued from her petit little body.

Then a voice that didn't sound like his own voice, came from his mouth, it spoke gently, calmly, and soothingly, to the girl in his arms. "It's alright, Hermione, it's okay. Your fine."

"That's not what's upsetting me, it was you." Hermione sobbed into his chest, "You, you were,"

Draco never heard what he was, although he had a pretty good guess at what he was, because that was when Hermione broke down completely. She sobbed, and sobbed. Then when she couldn't cry anymore, she pulled Draco closer, as if trying to make sure that he was still there, Draco, though, had no intention of leaving her, and when she pulled him closer, he obliged without question, his voice, returning to it's normal tone, continued to sooth her.

About an hour later, Draco noticed Hermione had finally stopped crying, though her arms were still wrapped securely around his mid-section. He lifted his head a fraction of an inch; to get a view of her tear strained face that was sleeping soundly against his chest.

Draco smiled, this time, though, he knew exactly why. It was because he realized that this girl, even after all the years he had called her a "mudblood", and teased her, and her friends, Harry, and Ron, she cared about him, or at least enough that she would be sad if he died. He never before thought anyone would care if died, and that's what, for the most part, made him smile, that there was someone that would be sad to see him die, whether or not; she felt this way about everyone dying, he didn't know, nor did he care. Just the fact that he was one of those people made his heart as light as a feather. He laid his head back against the couch behind him, and, after making sure Hermione was wrapped securely in his arms, and that he was in hers, he drifted off into a content sleep.

Hermione woke up, about an hour and a half later, to find herself asleep on Draco's robe-covered chest. _Ohmigod! What the hell happened?_ Hermione buried her head into his chest slightly, trying to think.

"Are you okay?" A voice whispered from above her head. Hermione looked up into pale blue eyes that had the slightest tinge of gray to them. Malfoy was awake, and looking at her with an odd expression on his face.

"What…what do you mean?" asked Hermione uncertainly.

"You don't remember?" Malfoy asked her, stunned, and she couldn't help but notice that his eyes seemed to have become grayer looking.

"I, I don't know," Hermione admitted to Malfoy, she racked her brain trying to remember. Then somewhere from the depths of her mind, she heard something, screaming. "I remember screaming."

Malfoy was silent for a moment, than said, "Nothing else?"

Hermione dug further into her mind, while still staying in Malfoy's, astonishingly, comforting arms. They felt so good around her; they were not only comforting, but also warm, and safe feeling. Suddenly, she noticed that this feeling of warmth, and safety was oddly familiar to her.

"I remember," Hermione started.

"Yes?" Malfoy encouraged her.

"This." Hermione told him, Malfoy, for a split second didn't seem to know what she meant, but then it looked as though his mind clicked into place. He pulled her closer to him, and rested his head on hers, as she placed it back against his chest once more.

"Do," Malfoy began, "do you mind this?"

Hermione pulled her head back slightly so she could look his in the eye. They were a bright blue color that Hermione had never seen before. She searched Malfoy's eyes for any sign of wittiness, or sarcasm, but found only the look of anticipation dancing in his eyes.

She was even slightly surprised that his eyes didn't hold anything inappropriate, either. His look was soft, gentle, and soothing, and, if it was possible with it being Malfoy, friendly.

Hermione smiled at him, but he only barely returned it, he was waiting for an answer, when Hermione, who had no clue as to how to answer him, stayed silent he loosened his already loose grip around her waist, and made to stand up.

She was about to back off when the words finally made it to her lips, "No, I don't mind this, please, stay."

Malfoy looked down at her, then he took her hands in his and stood up, bringing her up with him, he then sat down on the couch, and Hermione, led by the tender touch of his hands fell down beside him as he wrapped his arms around her once again.

Although neither would probably ever admit it, at that moment they were on the same level. There was no "pureblood", and no "mudblood", at that moment Hermione and Malfoy seemed to share something that existed on a deeper level, what it was Hermione had no clue, and she didn't really care.

Malfoy, all of a sudden broke the silence that surrounded them, "In here, I be here for you. I'll be," he hesitated a moment, then finished his outspoken thought with, "your friend…Hermione."

This made Hermione's heart almost stop. She never expected Malfoy to act this way, he was putting his whole reputation on the line, which was probably the reason that made her trust the words Draco, had just said to her.

"Thank you…Draco," Hermione said to Draco, "that means a lot, really it does."

Draco stayed silent, but she new what he was thinking, and she knew that he would never admit to it.

"It means a lot to me, too, Hermione."

Hermione's jaw dropped, he had admitted it. She looked up at Draco, trying to see, again, if he was just toying with her. In his eyes, that were now a light icy blue, she saw no trace of anything except one thing she never thought she would ever find in those eyes, hope, and slight anticipation. He was telling her the truth; she could feel it deep down in the pit of her stomach.

She smiled up at him, and he grinned back.

"So, your all right, now?" Draco asked her again.

"Will you hold me longer if I say, 'no'." Hermione asked him, a small, teasing, smile playing on her lips.

"I'd hold you longer either way," Draco told her, than he looked down at her with a sly smile placed upon his lips, "whether you said yes, or no."

Hermione smiled, Draco pulled her back to rest on his chest, and Hermione closed her eyes, and sighed deeply, taking in the smell of Draco's warm body.

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**A/N- How did you like that chapter. Please Read&Review! Bye bye!**

**By the way, i take suggestions on what could/should happen,so,feel free to add a suggestion to your reviews, and don't think you won't get credit, I'll list the people who gave me suggestions thatI used, and even ones that gave me a writers blast, I'll even put an extra chapter at the end of the story, thanking everyone who helped me, too! So, please, go right ahead and suggests things that you'd like to see happen, i'll try my best to use as many as I can! **


	8. Why Can't I Smile?

**A/N-** **You will find out in this chapter or chapter nine about why ****Ron is mad at Hermione and being so mean to her.

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**Chapter Eight: Why can't I smile? **

The weekend, for Draco and Hermione was quite hectic. They had to think of an idea for the school dances coming up, the closest one being the Halloween dance, on the thirty-first!

"So, it's a formal dance, then?" Hermione clarified, while sitting cross-legged on the floor, a piece of parchment on the floor in front of her, and Draco sitting next to her.

"Yeah, what's the harm, besides; Pansy would kill me if I didn't get it to be a formal."

Hermione laughed, "Oh, we can't have that, now, can we?"

"You think that's funny?" Draco said, cocking an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Yes, I think that is funny!" Hermione said, eyeing Draco.

Draco just smirked, "well, ha ha!"

Hermione smiled at him, then looked down at the parchment in front of her, "So, a formal. What kind of decorations?"

"Floating candles, and Jack-o-lanterns, black, and orange table cloths, stuff like that." Draco said, as Hermione wrote it all down on the parchment.

"Okay, got it!" Hermione announced, as she stopped writing, "Now, what about music?"

"I never really listen to much music," Draco admitted to Hermione.

"Well, I promised a couple of the Prefects that we would play some muggle music, that okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Hermione smiled at Draco, who only smirked back.

"I think we should let the prefects have some say in the music, so let's wait till we have a prefects meeting, to decide the music, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever,"

"Okay, so I think all we need now, is a theme." Hermione said, scanning the parchment in front of her.

"Okay, what should it be?"

"Well, we already decided that it's a formal dance, so," Hermione thought for a moment, "Wait, how about semi-formal, and do the dress up thing, you know, costumes and such."

"Not the worst idea."

Hermione smiled, "Okay, then, I guess we're done, for now."

"Yeah," Draco said, "should we go to Dumbledore's office, now?"

"No, let's wait till we have everything." Hermione answered, "If that's okay with you."

"That's fine," Draco said.

"So," Hermione said, rolling up the parchment, "What now?"

"Food,"

Hermione laughed.

"What? I'm hungry!"

"Okay then, to the kitchenette!" Hermione declared, raising to her feet and walking over to the kitchenette.

Just as Draco had gotten up, someone knocked on the portrait door.

Draco and Hermione looked at each other for a moment, then Hermione called, "Who is it?"

"Harry."

Draco glanced at Hermione; she looked slightly worried. He turned and went to sit on the couch. Hermione, slowly, walked over to the portrait hole, and opened it. Harry walked in and looked around, he spotted Draco within an instant, and his face became hard as stone.

"Mind leaving?" Harry asked Draco loathingly.

"Yes, I do mind." Draco said, standing up.

"Well, tough luck, you're leaving whether you like it, or not!" Harry spat.

"Really," Draco asked, getting to his feet.

"Yes," Harry clarified, taking a step towards Draco, but Hermione stepped in front of him, "Hermione, move."

"No."

"Hermione!"

"No, I'm not moving."

Harry shot a death glare at Draco, then turned around, and made his way up the stairs to Hermione's bedroom door, "Then, can we at least go to your room, so we can…talk."

Hermione was quite for a moment, what does he want talk about? That was the one question that went through Hermione's head, as she climbed the stairs to where Harry stood, she opened her bedroom door and entered, Harry followed her in.

Once Harry was inside, Hermione quietly shut the door behind her, and sat down on her bed, and looked at Harry, who was pacing her room.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry paced for a few more seconds then stopped and turned to look at Hermione, "Ron."

Hermione's face became stiff, "What about him?"

"He is sorry, Hermione." Harry explained, "He was almost in tears yesterday!"

"So, what?" Hermione spat, "If he's sorry, then he should come and apologize himself!"

"I knew you'd say that," Harry said.

"Then, you know that I'm not going to forgive him."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that, as well." Harry admitted, running a hand through his hair.

"Then why in bloody hell did you come here for?"

"Ron made me, I told him that you probably wouldn't forgive him unless he apologized himself, but he wouldn't listen. Please, Hermione, just talk to him at least?" Harry begged.

"No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not going to talk to Ron, and, frankly, I don't really want to talk to you right now, either. So, if you don't mind, please leave."

Harry stood there in shock, "What? Hermione?"

"Just go! Harry, please, just go away. I want to be alone right now, please." Hermione said earnestly.

"Whatever, "Harry said with a sigh, then turned and left the room, leaving a very annoyed Hermione alone in her room.

Hermione flopped back on her bed and wondered what did I just do?

There was a soft knock on Hermione's door, and Draco's head appeared, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"What happened?"

"Harry wants me to talk to Ron."

"And you call him your friend?"

"Depends, do you mean Harry or Ron?"

"Both, I guess."

"Harry is my friend, but I'm not at all to sure about Ron, though."

"Your not sure, are you serious? He says that to you, and you're not sure?"

Hermione gave Draco a look, and he then clued into what she meant be it, "Okay, bad example."

"No, it's not a bad example really, it's just you shouldn't be the one to bring it up, since you called me mudblood for six years."

"Speaking of which, I'm really sorry about that." Draco apologized to Hermione.

"I know you are."

Draco smirked; why can't I smile?

"Um, are you okay?"

Draco looked at Hermione in puzzlement, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you seem, kind of, out of it."

"I do?"

"Yeah,"

"I don't know, maybe I'm just tired."

"Maybe," Hermione said, not sounding at all too sure, so Draco walked over to her and gave her a small hug.

"I'll be fine," Draco assured her, releasing her.

"Okay."

Draco turned and left the room.

Draco woke up on Monday morning feeling incredibly at ease. He dashed downstairs, in his pain black boxers, and walked over to the brunette who was in the kitchenette getting her cat his food, dressed in a bathrobe and her pyjama's, he could see the pant legs from where the robe stopped just above her knees.

"Hey!" Draco greeted.

Hermione jumped, and turned, "Oh, Draco, hey."

"You're jumpy, what's up?" Draco asked taking the plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes that was on the counter beside Hermione and walking over to a near by table and sofa.

"Hey, that's mine." Hermione shouted, "Get your own."

"I suck at cooking, and this looks so appetizing!" Draco declared.

"I know you suck at cooking, so I made extra, all you got to do is put it on a plate, and eat it, and I'm sure you can handle that." Hermione said.

"Yeah, but I have a plate of delicious food right in front of me." Draco smirked with his comment.

Hermione grabbed a pillow out of one of the armchairs near her and hurled it at Draco, who caught it and then sat on it, "Thank you, the floor is kind of hard."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but a smile danced across her face.

She smiling again, Draco noted as he watched Hermione scoop some eggs, bacon, and hash browns, from a pan on the stove, onto a plate. She walked over to him and sat down, cross-legged, beside him. He continued to watch Hermione as she speared some eggs with her fork, and brought it up to her mouth. I never knew Hermione wore lip-gloss, Draco thought as he watched Hermione's lips shimmer in the sunlight that was pouring in from the balcony windows.

"What are you looking at?" Hermione asked, after she had swallowed her first bite of egg.

"Huh? What?" Draco asked, his eyes snapping from the Hermione's mouth to her eyes, "Um, nothing, why do you ask?"

"No reason."

Draco turned, without a response, back to his breakfast. He took a bite of bacon that wasn't half bad, and then turned back to Hermione, "You're not a bad cook."

"Thanks," Hermione replied, "my mom taught me."

"So, I'll take a stab in the dark here, and say that your mom's a good cook, too?"

"Yeah, she's the best!" Hermione exclaimed, smiling broadly, making Draco's eyes fall to her lips once more, "She fantastic at cooking. She can cook, both, French, and Italian, cuisine!"

Draco didn't reply; he was drawn in by the little dot of moisture that was resting on Hermione's bottom lip.

"Um, Draco?"

No reply, Draco only watched as the bead of moisture quivered with the movements of Hermione's lips.

"Draco?"

No reply, still. Hermione then broke his trace by curling her lips in on each, and his gaze snapped to her face once more, "What were you saying?"

"I was asking you what you were staring at."

Draco winced, Hermione's voice sounded angry, and so did her eyes. She knew where he had been looking, and probably thought that he was a total perverted jackass!

"Hermione, please don't look at me like that," Draco pleaded; hating the look of loathing that he was receiving from her.

"Then don't look at me like that!" Hermione retorted, hotly.

"I didn't mean to, honest."

"Yeah, right, this is exactly why I didn't want to trust you in the first place! Do you ever think of anything besides snogging?"

"What, Hermione?" Draco said in a loud, but soft voice.

"Just, leave me alone, Malfoy!" Draco cringed deeply at the use of his last name by Hermione. Hermione ignored the cringe, and swiftly turned on her heels and marched up to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

What the bloody hell just happened? Draco asked himself the same question again, and again, as he made his way up the stairs. Well, if I can't answer that question, I'll get her to answer it for me. Draco knocked on Hermione's door, and called, "Hermione! Hermione! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? Like you don't know! You think you can just pretend to be my 'friend' just so you can get me to be your next snog! Go to HELL, Malfoy!"

"Hermione, what are you talking about? Hermione! Open the door!" Draco shouted.

"I said, GO AWAY!" Hermione yelled.

Draco stood there for a second wondering if he should just break the bloody down, but thought better of it and turned towards his room.

Once in his room he changed into his school robes and then went back out to the common room. He saw his, and Hermione's unfinished breakfast plates on the table by the fire, he sighed then picked them up and took them to the counter by the sink in their kitchenette. Draco then turned and made his way out of the Heads' Common room, and down to the Great Hall.

When he reached the Great Hall, he made his way over to his friends at the Slytherin table. He sat down between Blaise and Pansy, who latched onto his arm as fast as she could; Draco groaned.

"So, how was the Mudblood, Draco?" Blaise asked him.

Draco glared at his best friend "Don't ask."

"Oh," Blaise said, winking at Draco, "I gotcha."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Draco mimicked Blaise's wink back to him.

"Well, you gotten almost every other girl in school, even a mudblood girl would be mark against you."

"Shut up, Blaise, I'm not going to go and snog the mudblood like she's never been before!"

"Then can I?" Blaise asked a sickening glint in his eye.

Draco's head snapped around to look at Blaise, "WHAT?"

"Geez, Draco, chill, man!" Blaise said, "I just thought that if you weren't going to take advantage of the mudblood, then I could."

"Well, you can't!" Draco shouted in an under tone.

Blaise eyed him suspiciously, "Draco, why don't you want the mudblood?"

"Um," Draco hesitated, and then answered, "She's a mudblood!"

"So was that Ravenclaw you did over the summer." Blaise countered.

"Yeah, so? Granger's is _the_ mudblood, Potter's mudblood. Favourite student of the old bat, and fool, **(A/N-"old bat" is Professor McGonagall, and "old fool" is Professor Dumbledore)** mudblood," Draco shot back, "so, don't touch her."

"Whatever." Blaise said, shrugging.

Draco turned and stole a glance at the Gryffindor table, he immediately spotted the brown haired Head Girl among them; she was in deep conversation with Potter. Draco's insides squirmed at the sight. Draco's eyes then fell upon a certain red head about ten seats away from Hermione. The Weasel was watching Hermione and Potter with cold eyes, then, out of the blue, his eyes locked on Hermione and Potter, stood up and started towards them. Draco mind and body lunged into action.

"Damn, I forgot I have a Heads meeting with Granger this morning, I have to go." Draco said, hurriedly, to his friends, then, after peeling Pansy off his arm semi-dashed to the Gryffindor, only to realize that he wasn't going to get there before the Weasel. Thinking quickly he slowed his pace down, he didn't want the red head, or Scarface, to figure out what he was doing. Draco kept his eyes on the Weasel as he approached Hermione and Scarface. It took now more then about two seconds before all hell broke loose.

Hermione huffed and looked away from Ron, who suddenly lunged at her, Harry hurtled himself in front of Hermione, blocking Ron's path to her. Ron lashed out trying desperately to get at Hermione, who had backed up into the person beside her, which happened to be Neville.

Everyone, except the teachers, of course, in the Great Hall were throwing fists left, and right. Draco even got a hit to the side of his head by a sixth year Ravenclaw. Draco shoved the kid forcefully back into a group of his fellow Ravenclaw's, and then set off at a run to help Hermione out of the eye of this hurricane of fists.

Ron, literally flung Harry off of him into the Ravenclaw table beside them, then charged at Hermione who ducked just in time to avoid Ron's, she stood up quickly, as Ron straighten up ready to throw another punch at her, suddenly Harry launched himself at Ron, knocking him to the ground.

Harry then yelled at Hermione, "Get out of here, go to your common room and don't you dare move from it!"

Hermione just nodded and ran as fast as she could past Harry, who was struggling to hold Ron back from knocking her out cold, towards the Entrance Hall.

Just as she passed the chaos of Harry, and Ron, Hermione tripped and fell flat on her face; she could hear Professor McGonagall, as well as other teachers' voices, behind her. Hermione looked around to see what she had tripped over, only to find that she hadn't tripped, Ron had lunged out and grabbed her by the ankle, a wicked, yet immensely angry, expression spread across his freckled face.

"Damn you, Hermione! I said I was sorry! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

The comment by the Weasel was so idiotic, and pathetic, that Draco, who was now trying to manoeuvre his way through the crowd of people who had now noticed the hectic scene at the Gryffindor table, almost laughed out loud.

Draco swivelled his head so that he could see Hermione, but no matter which way his head turned, he couldn't see her. Did she leave? Draco thought, looking back towards the Entrance Hall doorway. No, Draco reasoned, turning back to look for her, I would have seen her. Then, Draco spotted her, lying flat on her stomach, her ankle in the grasp of the Weasel. Draco's face hardened, as he watched the Weasel try to get out of the hold of Potter. Quick as a flash, Draco whipped out his wand and pointed it towards Ron, "Pitrificus Totalus," Draco muttered.

Draco saw Ron's body freeze under his spell, without caring who saw him, he dashed forward, grabbed Hermione by the forearms, and lifted her to her feet, after he pried the Weasel's hand off her ankle, as the teachers tried to calm the students. Then, taking Hermione's hand in his, he led her through the Great Hall to the Entrance Hall and up to the Heads common room.

Once Draco reached the Head's common room, Hermione's hand still in his, he led her to the couch, and sat her down on it, then, speaking so softly to her he didn't even recognize his own voice, he said, "Are you alright?"

Hermione looked up at him, but she didn't say a word.

"Hermione, please, talk to me." Draco, almost, begged, but then he noticed something bright red in colour, running down the left side of Hermione's prefect face. "Hermione, you're bleeding!"

"I'm fine!" Hermione said, looking away, while she slapped his away from her face.

"No, you're not, Hermione!" Draco corrected her, alarm rising in his voice, he reached up again to see the gash that was on the side of her head; this time she didn't slap his hand away.

"Owww," Hermione said, wincing, as Draco touched her head.

"Sorry, it don't look to bad," Draco, said, but when Hermione tried to stand up to go to her room, added, "But I think you should go see Madame Pomfrey, just in case."

"You just said yourself that it's not that bad."

"So, I'm not a professional, I can't tell whether or not you have a concussion."

"I don't have a concussion."

"You're not a professional, either!"

Hermione opened her mouth to replied, but closed it a moment later, defeated, opening her mouth again, she said, "Alright, you win, but I'm waiting for Harry to come by first, he told me not to leave here."

"But you hurt!" Draco half shouted at her.

"So are you!" Hermione shouted.

Draco raised a hand to the side of his face, where that sixth year Ravenclaw had punched him.

"Yeah, and I'll be going to the hospital wing, too! Now, please Hermione, come on!"

"I'm not leaving without Harry knowing!"

"Then I'll tell him where you went, just, please, Hermione, go to Madame Pomfrey's. Please!"

Hermione gave Draco an odd look, and then looked down at her lap, and said, "Would you really tell him, without any snappy remarks?"

"If you'll go to Madame Pomfrey's if I do, yes, I'll tell him," Hermione looked up at him, and he added, "without any of the snappy remarks."

Hermione just looked at him for a moment, then, without even realizing she was doing it wrapped her arms around Draco's waist, and gave him a hug.

She's hugging me, I can't believe it, Draco thought, as he looked down at Hermione. She pulled back a few moments later, and stood up.

"Okay, I'll go to Madame Pomfrey. Just, so long, as you promise to tell Harry, without the snappy remarks."

"I promise."

Hermione gave Draco a small smile, and then made her way from the Heads common room, closing the portrait hole behind her.

I wonder if she will be alright…Draco thought suddenly. He stood up, and made to follow Hermione, but then his promise to stay here and tell Potter swam into his mind. Draco stood there staring at the back of the portrait hole, thinking, becoming more, and more, worried for Hermione's safety with every passing minute.

"I've got it!" Draco exclaimed to himself, aloud; he dashed forward and swung the portrait door opened stepped out, and turned around.

"Hey!" Draco snapped at his portrait, which had been in the middle of snogging Hermione's portrait, "Um…me. I want you to go follow Hermione, the real one, make sure she doesn't get hurt, okay?"

"Right away, can't leave a beauty in distress, can we!" And with that, Draco's portrait self hurried out of the portrait and into the one beside it, and then, the one beside that one, and so on.

"Thank you!"

Draco took his eyes away from the spot he had last seen his portrait self disappear, and turned towards the voice. He saw the portrait Hermione looking at him with sparkling eyes.

He smirked, and said, "Your welcome."

Draco went back inside the Heads common room; he sat down on the couch by the fireplace that was empty, and cold. He didn't know how long he sat there, but he didn't move an inch until he heard a knock on the portrait door. He stood up and rushed to the door, hoping it was Hermione, back from the Hospital Wing, completely healed, and all right.

Draco opened the door, only to find, not Hermione, but Harry Potter standing before him. Without a word, Draco stepped back, so that Potter could pass him, and enter the Heads common room.

"Where's Hermione?" Potter asked, after looking around.

"Hospital Wing." and that was all that Draco said in reply.

"She was supposed to stay here."

"And bleed to death?"

That comment of Draco's earned him an evil glare from the Scarface, "Shut up, Malfoy."

Draco flinched at the sound of his last name, as he now always did, ever since he had that recollection of his past in Potions class.

"Fine," Draco said, and he turned to walk up to his room.

"What's the matter with you today, Malfoy?"

Draco flinched, again.

"What happened to 'scarface', 'pothead', and pain old 'potter'?" Harry asked Draco with a sneer.

"I'm keeping a promise, got a problem with that?" Draco shot, trying to keep his voice as level as he could.

Potter eyed him steadily, for a moment. Then, he turned away abruptly, and left the common room, without another word.

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**A/N- Thanks for all the great reviews, I promise to update soon! Bye for now!**


	9. Her

**A/N - I love whoever is still reading this story! **

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**Chapter Nine: Her**

Draco stood there in the Head's Common room, staring at the back of the portrait hole, thinking, _what should I do? I want to go visit Hermione, but if Potter sees me coming he'll suspect something, and I know that Hermione wants to tell Potter herself, when she's ready, about us...whatever we are._

Draco ran his hands through his hair, _what do I do? Somebody, please, tell me what I should do!_

"Mudblood out for the day? Good."

Draco's body turned to stone, his blood ran cold, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

_I did not just hear that voice. There is no way in hell I just heard that voice,_ Draco pleaded with his mind.

Slowly, Draco turned, towards the fireplace, where he had heard the voice come from, only to stare straight into the fierce, cold, eyes of his worst nightmare.

In a small voice, Draco addressed the man before him, "Hello, _father_."

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"Now, this might hurt a bit," Madame Pomfrey, said, touching the tip of her wand to Hermione's head.

Hermione winced, and tried to brush Madame Pomfrey's hand away, but Madame Pomfrey held Hermione's hands away with her hand that wasn't trying to heal Hermione's head. Madame Pomfrey muttered a spell, and the wound on Hermione's head healed over.

"Now," Madame Pomfrey said, letting go of Hermione's hands, she moved and sat in front of Hermione, and cast the light charm, lumos.

Madame Pomfrey looked at Hermione's eyes, and took on a sad expression, "I'm afraid, you have a mild concussion, my dear."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, "I thought you fixed my head?"

"I only healed the wound, I can't heal a concussion," Madame Pomfrey admitted.

There was a knock on the door of the Hospital Wing door, and three people entered, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

"Hello Headmaster, Minerva, Severus," Madame Pomfrey said.

"Hello Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore returned the greeting, and was the only one who did so.

The three teachers walked over to Hermione's bedside, and sat down on three chairs that Madame Pomfrey summoned.

"Now, Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore started, but before he went further, the doors to the Hospital Wing burst open, and Harry came running in.

"Mister Potter, please, I have patients in here that are trying to get some rest," Madame Pomfrey scolded, as Harry came to a stop at the end of Hermione's bed, and she gestured around to the beds of the Hospital Wing where victims of that mornings brawl lay sleeping.

"Oh, sorry Madame Pomfrey," Harry said, breathing heavily, "But, Hermione," Harry looked at Hermione, then he got mad, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THAT ROOM!"

"Mister Potter, _please_," Madame Pomfrey said in an urgent tone of voice.

Harry took a breath, and continued in a calmer tone, "Why the hell did you leave the head's common room when I told you to stay!"

"D-Malfoy, told me to come here," Hermione explained.

"So, you'll listen to _Malfoy_, and not _me_, that's low Hermione!" Harry said, and glared at her.

Hermione's eyes watered; _I can't believe Harry's acting this way!_

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"He's giving you one chance Draco," Lucious Malfoy informed his son, Draco who was standing before him, still in shock from the sudden appearance of father.

"Yes, father," Draco, replied.

"Good," Lucious said in his smooth voice, "Now, for your orders, Draco."

"And they would be?" Draco inquired.

"Get _her_ to _him,_" Lucious said with a pleased smirk.

Draco's eyes grew wide, and he stared at his father.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Lucious asked, giving his son a creepy smile.

"Uh, nothing," Draco said snapping to attention.

"Then you will do what you are asked," Lucious said, with a cold glare.

"Uh, yes, father," Draco, said.

"Good," Lucious said, then he threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace stepped in and disappeared after a shout of 'Malfoy Manor'.

Draco shook with fright, _Damn him!_

With that, Draco ran from the Heads' common room, and down the corridor, towards the hospital wing.

Draco arrived outside the doors of the hospital wing, just in time to listen to the voice of Potter shouting.

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"HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETEY INSANE?" Harry shouted, ignoring Madame Pomfrey's repeated attempts to quite him down, "YOU GO WALTZING AROUND THE SCHOOL AFTER WHAT RON DID? WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF HE HAD BEEN IN ONE OF THOSE HALLS?"

"I would of informed Mister Malfoy," A voice answered Harry.

Everyone in the room, looked to where the voice had come from, it was the picture of Draco that the real Draco had sent to make sure Hermione arrived safely to the hospital wing.

"WHAT? SO HE COULD LAUGH HIS ARSE OFF!" Harry shouted.

It was then that the hospital wing doors burst open, and on the other side of them stood one pissed of Draco Malfoy, "EXCUSE ME, BUT I DON'T THINK I LIKE YOU TALKING SHIT ABOUT ME BEHIND MY BACK!"

Harry glared darkly at Draco, and Draco glared right back.

"Guys," Hermione spoke meekly, her face covered in tears.

Harry didn't even spare her a glance; he only continued to glare at Draco. Draco, on the other hand, looked over at her.

Draco sighed at the sight of Hermione's tears; he walked over to her and hugged her, in front of everyone there. He didn't care what they thought anymore, he was tired of listening to everyone else, and watching others suffering from his actions.

"Draco?" Hermione asked in a weak voice.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered to her, "I'm so sorry, Hermione."

Everyone in the room had a different expression looking at the scene before them. Harry had plain and utter shock, Professor McGonagall looked a little dizzy, and slightly confused, Madame Pomfrey, who didn't completely understand the past of the two embracing before her, had a small smile on her face, Dumbledore was beaming and his eyes were sparkling, and Professor Snape looked as though he may be on the verge of sending Draco on a one-way trip to heaven.

"Now," Dumbledore spoke, as Draco sat on the edge of Hermione's bed, one arm around Hermione's shoulders, "I was just going to tell Miss Granger, before Mister Potter entered, that I think I've figured out the reason behind Mister Weasley's odd behaviour."

"Huh?" Harry said, shaking his head, and then he looked to Dumbledore, "Oh, um, what reason is that, Professor?"

"It has come to my knowledge that Mister Weasley received some chocolates from a so-called 'secret admirer', and I have found, with some help from Professor Snape, that these chocolates have been spiked with a potion that makes, the one who ingests it, hate and grow increasingly angry with a select individual, or group."

"Um, Professor?" Draco spoke up, and Dumbledore looked to him.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy?"

"What do you mean exactly, when you say 'increasingly' angry." Draco asked.

"I mean, that every time Mister Weasley doesn't feel his proven his true anger to Miss Granger, he will grow more angry, and hateful towards her." Dumbledore explained.

"We have also discovered, though," Professor McGonagall added, "Is that this potion seems to have been made slightly differently."

"How so?" Draco asked.

"Well, it doesn't seem to make Mister Weasley want to prove his anger to Miss Granger. It's more, he wants…well, that he wants…"

"Her?" Harry put in; McGonagall nodded.

"And when you mean her you mean _her_, right?" Harry asked, not really sure if that was the best way to phrase the question.

"Yes, Mister Potter," McGonagall answered, "That's what I mean."

Hermione, once again, began to cry, she turned towards Draco, and buried her face in his shoulder.

* * *

**A/N - I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but school has been a bugger! Thankfully it is, now, summer, and I will, now, be able to focus more time on my stories. XD So, please, continue to read, and, of course, review review review! XP**


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